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Police forward PSM fund misappropriation case to ACC

According to audit reports, MVR 4.9 million deposited in the company's account from 2017 to April 2024, as well as MVR 190,000 in the company's safe have gone missing.

Malika Shahid
28 September 2024, MVT 13:04
PSM building
Malika Shahid
28 September 2024, MVT 13:04

Police have forwarded the case involving the alleged misappropriation of Public Service Media (PSM) funds to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for further investigation.

The case concerns the disappearance of MVR 9 million from revenue and dollar exchange transactions as well as funds from PSM's safe.

According to audit reports, MVR 4.9 million deposited in the company's account from 2017 to April 2024, as well as MVR 190,000 in the company's safe have gone missing.

The funds were deposited into the personal accounts of then PSM Finance Director and his child, the report said.

When asked whether the case was under investigation, a police media official told Mihaaru News that ACC has jurisdiction over corruption cases, and the matter has therefore been forwarded to the ACC.

The report states that between 2020 and April 2024, MVR 5.8 million was taken from PSM's bank account to purchase USD 373,988. However, it notes that 80 percent of the expected dollar amount was not received by PSM, with only USD 76,731 seen to have been received. There are no records to indicate the remaining USD 297,257 were received by the company.

PSM's former Finance Director Ahmed Haneef was suspended from his post as Finance Director at PSM in April this year in relation to this case. In May, he was dismissed from the position. PSM has since submitted the case to Police.

Auditor General's Office said that in an online transaction to purchase dollar, out of MVR 1.3 million needed to buy USD 75,491, MVR 1.2 million had been deposited to the account of a child of Haneef in a number of deposits.

They said that it was Haneef alone who signed on payment vouchers worth MVR 405,122 permitting dollar transactions via online transfers. A transaction of MVR 30,000 without anyone's signature was also found.

The Auditor General's Office has directed that the case be filed with the ACC to recover the MVR 9 million and hold those responsible accountable.

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