Dhihdhoo council submitted forged bank statement

Auditor General's Office has stated that the Alif Dhaalu Dhihdhoo Council had provided false information to the audit office through submitting a forged bank statement.

The 2022 Compliance Audit Report of Alif Dhaalu Dhihdhoo Council released by the audit office yesterday states that an IT and Financial Consultant employed by the Council had attempted to deceive auditors through manipulating the bank statement.

The report said that although MVR 5,500 from the funds in the council's safe on August 3, 2022 had been handed over to the IT and Financial Consultant, the bank statement reveals that this amount was not deposited to the council's bank account.

Once they were questioned about this, it was said that the MVR 5,500 is included within an MVR 25,000 that had been deposited to the council account by a private individual on July 17 last year. They claimed that the remaining MVR 19,500 is rent due to the council.

"However, through further investigations, auditors discovered that this MVR 25,000 was a donation to the Council," the report states.

Questioned once again about the money, the consultant then claimed that the money had been deposited in their personal account by mistake. At a meeting held with council members on November 11, 2023, they assured that they would return this amount to the council.

On November 13, the consultant submitted another bank statement to the audit office, claiming that the amount has been returned. This statement shows another MVR 25,000, not included in the previous statement, as having been deposited in the council's account on July 19, 2023.

"Once this was observed, a bank statement for the council's account was sought from the Bank of Maldives by this office, which showed that these funds were not included. Hence, this office believes that this was a forged bank statement sent by the individual with the intention to deceive," the report said.

The Audit report said that as this is a criminal offence, Dhihdhoo Council has been advised to report the issue to Police.

Dhihdhoo Council had separately announced the posts of IT Consultant and Financial Consultant. However, the positions were later merged and one individual had been hired. The Audit Report stated that the job had been given to a person who had a conflict of interest with the Council's Secretary General, adding that the person had been issued monthly salaries since February 2023 without the signing of a contract.

The consultant received a monthly salary of MVR 21,000. This is MVR 12,000 as IT Consultant, and MVR 9000 as Financial Consultant.

The report went on to state that Dhihdhoo Council's Secretary General had worked remotely from the Atoll Council in Alif Dhaalu Mahibadhoo instead of working on location in Dhihdhoo. When working remotely, he had covered expenses of his stay in Mahibadhoo through the Dhihdhoo council's budget.

Council Secretary Generals do not have a living allowance included in their pay. However, the council rents a two room house in Dhihdhoo as well for MVR 5,500 per month as his accommodation. Of the rent, MVR 4500 is paid from the council's budget, with the Secretary General paying just MVR 1000. This has caused the council a loss of MVR 90,000 in the past year, the report said. The report notes that there is no rent agreement for this house, either.

The report goes on to show inconsistencies and irregularities within many other work of the Dhihdhoo council as well.