Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has revealed the Dhuvaafaru Island Council corruption case is in the final stages of prosecution. ACC said Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has sent the monitoring report back to ACC with its comments.
In the report, ACC noted that a large number of financial transactions have been conducted by 12 members of the council in violation of the rules. As such, five members, the Secretary-General, and several other employees of the Dhuvaafaru Island Council were suspended in November 2022. However, two of the councillors resumed their duties after the suspension expired.
ACC sent the monitoring report of the Dhuvaafaru Island Council to the PGO for consultation with the duty prosecution and relevant authorities on October 8, 2022. Senior Communications Officer of ACC Nishan Mohamed Didi said efforts are underway to make necessary amendments requested by PGO, adding the case is in the final stages of forwarding for prosecution.
The Local Government Authority (LGA) also released a report on the corruption in Dhuvaafaru. The report highlighted the corrupt financial transactions within the council. The report published showed multiple incidents of the council mismanaging its finances, including corruption related to the handling of Zakat payments, handing over projects without bids in order to benefit council employees, and conducting business dealings without filing the necessary documentation. As such, the council was found to have transferred funds to the council director, the council president, and its members, as well as the women’s development committee (WDC) and contract employees without clear indications as to the purpose of the transfer. LGA has found that the council has transferred thousands of US dollars in total.
Although ACC has investigated 12 employees in connection with the case, it has not revealed how many members will be prosecuted.