Audit finds corruption and mismanagement in football training school project

A government project launched in 2018 to build a football training school in Hulhumalé has come under serious scrutiny following an audit that revealed multiple instances of corruption, negligence, and financial mismanagement.

The project, a presidential pledge by former President Abdulla Yameen, was overseen by the President’s Office, Ministry of Sports, and the Football Association of Maldives (FAM). Although it was presented as a promising initiative, the Auditor General’s Office has now requested the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the project further.

According to an audit report published on Monday, the MVR 38.5 million project was not funded through the state budget but was instead financed using the 2018 contingency budget. This violates financial regulations which limit contingency spending to five percent of an office’s original allocated budget.

The report also noted that procurement exceeding MVR 2.5 million must go through the National Tender Board, a process the Sports Ministry failed to follow. No explanation was provided for why FAM was awarded the project in the first place.

FAM’s handling of the project raised further red flags. Of the eight companies that submitted bids, three were disqualified for proposing higher costs and longer timelines. However, the bid that was accepted turned out to be more expensive than two of those rejected. The audit noted that no justification was given for this decision.

Before the official contract was signed, FAM awarded the selected contractor a separate contract worth MVR 9.9 million for tasks already included in the main project. As a result, the state paid twice for the same work.

The audit also revealed that MVR 20.4 million in progress payments were made without proper authorization. Payment vouchers lacked required signatures, and it remains unclear who approved them. Additionally, MVR 17.4 million was paid without verifying whether the corresponding work had been completed.

FAM also failed to include a penalty clause for delays. Although the project was supposed to be completed within 90 days, it remains unfinished. Yet MVR 32.3 million, or 84 percent of the total contract value, had already been paid.

There is still no sign of the training school on the allocated land. The Housing Development Corporation has since decided to reclaim the land due to FAM’s failure to commence construction.

FAM’s former president Bassam Adeel Jaleel, who oversaw the project, is currently on trial over separate corruption charges and has been suspended by FIFA.