Managing Director of Fuel Supply Maldives (FSM) Mohamed Gasam revealed late Tuesday that five more employees, who were accused of being involved in the embezzlement of MVR 8 million from Maldives Ports Limited (MPL), were suspended.
Speaking on a programme broadcast on local television channel Raajje TV, he stated that accusations against the staff in question surfaced via the internal audit. All five employees work at FSM's bowser driver unit.
FSM previously suspended a bowser driver on December 1, in connection with the fuel graft.
Gasam assured that the company was sharing all findings from the audit with the police.
He further said that they had not found any evidence implicating staff of FSM's senior management.
The illicit transactions conducted by MPL staff surfaced when an internal audit by the company revealed that bills for the months in which operations were reduced amid the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, were consistently higher than those for previous months.
Speaking at the Parliament's Committee on State Owned Enterprises earlier this month, MPL's CEO and Managing Director Shahid Ali disclosed that bills were forged for fuel supplies that were not delivered to MPL. He revealed that three employees from the procurement department were suspended over the matter.
In addition to its formal investigation, MPL has also lodged the case at the Anti Corruption Commission, Maldives Police Service and the Auditor General’s Office.
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