ACC investigates alleged corruption cases of Fisheries Ministry

The Anti-Corruption Commission of the Maldives has said that it is currently investigating alleged cases of corruption in the Ministry of Fisheries, for the year 2010. The Auditor General’s Report on the Ministry of Fisheries for the year 2010 suggested that millions of Rufiyaa were spent from the ministry budget in violation of public finance laws and regulations.

ACC President Hassan Luthufy said today that a private individual had also filed a letter of complaint about the same corruption cases of the Ministry of Fisheries. However, Mr. Luthufy declined to provide any details, as the matter is currently under investigation.

The Independent Auditor General, appointed during the Presidency of Mohamed Nasheed, stated in his Report on the Ministry of Fisheries for 2010 that numerous islands under the administrative authority of the Ministry were leased to several parties for indefinite periods for purposes such as agriculture, and that some 54 million Rufiyaa as rent for those islands had not been paid to the government by those parties.

The islands were leased, according to the Auditor General, during the presidency of Mohamed Nasheed, by his appointee as the Minister of State for Fisheries and Agriculture.

It has been long alleged that former President Nasheed had many of his close associates and party leaders gifted with uninhabited islands for business purposes, which these individuals used to rent to investors in the agricultural and tourism industry.

Auditor General’s Report on the Ministry of Fisheries raised other issues of corruption too. The Ministry allegedly released monetary grants to a boat-operator delivering sand, as well as a boat-operator engaged in transportation services, from funds allocated for subsidy to fishermen. MVR 243,302 was allegedly spent on such corrupt dealings. Audit Report also says that the Ministry had ignored complaints of misuse of grants.

Also, the Ministry used MVR 549,764 for “private use” out of the funds allocated by the People’s Majlis for oil subsidy to fishermen.