The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has launched an investigation into a local Umrah tour group for allegedly misusing its license to secure USD from the central bank under false pretenses.
Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said the Ministry has flagged a case of a local Umrah tour group that had exploited its license to secure USD from the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) under false pretenses of Umrah pilgrimage.
However, the group had allegedly not arranged for any pilgrims to undertake the Umrah pilgrimage, the Minister explained.
As MMA issues USD for each airline ticket, the group, if found guilty, faces a fine of about USD2,000 for forging the tickets, Shaheem added.
Some tour groups have failed to comply with the relevant rules gazetted on October 9 last year regarding Umrah group arrangements. So far 19 groups have been fined around USD324 for various violations.
Recently, a case emerged involving an Umrah group that neglected pilgrims under their care during the December Umrah season. Action has already been taken against the company responsible, identified as Al-Hijra Travel and Tours Private Limited.
Two dozen pilgrims under Al-Hijra’s care were stranded in Mecca before the government intervened to bring them home. The company is alleged to have misused funds allocated for the purchase of their return tickets, resulting in the unfortunate situation.
The Ministry has previously reaffirmed the government’s commitment to holding companies accountable for negligence in managing Umrah pilgrimages.