PG Office Confirms No Referrals Received on Major Auditor General Findings

The Prosecutor General’s Office has confirmed that it has received no case files, referrals, or requests for duty-prosecution guidance concerning several major financial irregularities and compliance failures highlighted by the Auditor General’s Office.

The disclosure came in an official response to a Right to Information request seeking the prosecutorial status, court filings, and asset recovery proceedings connected to a range of high-profile state audits.

advertisement

advertisement

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, internal records confirm that none of the cited matters have been formally submitted for review by the Auditor General’s Office, the Anti-Corruption Commission, or the Maldives Police Service.

The statutory inquiry had sought specific updates regarding six prominent compliance investigations, including financial losses in the State Submarine Cable Initiative, alleged procurement inflation and vendor conflicts at Addu Equatorial Hospital, and MVR 6.16 million in uncollected land lease payments at the Ukulhas Council.

The submission also requested details on the irregular disbursement of MVR 9.3 million in higher education grants to ineligible degree holders, the unlawful allocation of 12 land plots by the Kolhufushi Council, and an unexplained MVR 811,302 revenue discrepancy identified at the Vilufushi Council.

The disclosure points to a persistent enforcement gap between state audit findings and formal criminal proceedings. Recent reports from the Auditor General’s Office have continued to reveal widespread financial mismanagement across public institutions.

Among these was a “Disclaimer of Opinion” issued on the 2022 financial statements of the Waste Management Corporation Limited (WAMCO). Auditors cited severe record-keeping failures, unverified expenses, and unreconciled revenue streams.

At the local council level, auditors also flagged the unlawful payment of MVR 337,600 to a temporary Secretary-General in Vaavu Rakeedhoo. The official drew dual salaries over a four-year period under the label of “Mosque Wage” in breach of state financial regulations.