In addition to this, the monitoring report prepared by the Local Government Authority (LGA) during the inspection of this case noted 34 different acts by the employees that were taken against the law.
The Presidents Office
Even in a small country like the Maldives, the amount of corruption that takes place in plain sight, even in Government offices can be quite unbelievable for many who see the country as the epitome of perfection.
This, however, could not be further from the truth as the citizens of the country constantly have to read about Government offices and other entities taking advantage of the power they hold to steal the people’s money right under their noses.
One such case that surfaced recently was the one with the Raa Atoll Dhuvaafaru Council, where a number of high-status employees as well as contract employees were caught transferring large sums of money into their bank accounts. With over MVR 2.1 million being transferred into the accounts of employees ranging from the President of the council to different members of the council, many had thought that the consequences would be severe as these people evidently took advantage of their power in order to gain their own benefit.
However, the case did not end up the way anyone thought. The Prosecutor Generals office of the Maldives has decided that after looking at the number of hours that these civil servants have served along with their criminal record as well as the role that they played in the Act, to let the people who committed several questionable crimes do not deserve to serve time and to let them go after issuing a warning. This decision was taken under section 97 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
While the employees did not serve time for the crimes they committed this time, under this law forgiveness only applies the first time, and if the mistakes are repeated they will face time.
With this proceeding ending in this manner, it is quite obvious that the decision will be met with criticism as the seven employees did not just transfer a large number of funds into their own accounts. In addition to this, the monitoring report prepared by the Local Government Authority (LGA) during the inspection of this case noted 34 different acts by the employees that were taken against the law. And while citizens of the country face a heavier sentences on much smaller crimes, it appears that this case of fraud and mismanagement of the state funds ended in advice and suspension, which seems like a minor sentence to face for taking advantage of the power and trust that these employees were trusted with by the people of their own island.
