The failure to maintain records of funds granted by international bodies and money received by Maldivian sports associations, alongside not sharing that information with state institutions, creates an avenue for corruption, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) stated in a research report.
According to the report titled "Research Report on Identifying Corruption Risks in the Governance and Management System of Sports," published by the ACC today, details of assistance granted to Maldivian sports associations by international sports organizations are not shared with any government authority. The report also stated that associations do not officially maintain records of such assistance.
"Furthermore, the research observed that the lack of a system to monitor and oversee how associations spend funds obtained as grants, sponsorship, charity, and for other purposes is also a reason that facilitates acts of corruption within such associations," the ACC report stated.
According to the report, it is also impossible to determine how funds collected from a football match organized by an association to assist affected individuals abroad were spent.
"The commission's investigation noted that there are no documents available showing that the funds received by the association from the charity event were spent, that the money was not deposited into the association's bank account, and that the expenses incurred during the event as well as the funds generated from the event were not maintained in writing," the ACC report stated.
Noting that the situation of sports associations remains as such, one recommendation provided by the ACC in the report to address this issue is to legally mandate the disclosure of details regarding financial assistance received and expenditure details by sports associations and organizations.
While the ACC provided this recommendation, issues had previously surfaced regarding the misuse of funds granted by FIFA to the Football Association of Maldives (FAM). In connection with some of those cases, former president of the association Bassam Adeel Jaleel was handed lengthy prison sentences.
