Charges filed against 3 in MPL, FSM corruption case

The Prosecutor General's Office has filed charges against a number of Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) and Fuel Supplies Maldives (FSM) staff on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, for their alleged involvement in corruption and misconduct.

The office has charged MPL staff Mohamed Aiman and Hassan Didi, and FSM staff Sojib; a Bangladesh expartriate for their alleged corruption in the sale of fuel to MPL.

PG is seeking to prosecute both Aiman and Didi for the charges of corruption, fraud and misrepesentation while the FSM employee is charged with corruption.

In its charges, PG claimed Aiman, who was the Chief Manager of MPL's Procurement Department, had misrepresented documents to purport receipt of fuel from FSM which was never delivered.

He is also alleged to have instructed Didi, the Assistant Manager of MPL's Procurement Department, to collect and sign a total 119 delivery notes between the period January 13, 2020 and October 10, 2020.

PG said Aiman had verified receipt of the delivery notes through the system and processed them for payment, which amounts to 783,100 liters of diesel; which is valued at MVR 6,799,800.

Aiman had allegedly misrepresented payment receipt of this amount to FSM as well.

Didi is alleged with aiding the corruption and by providing false FSM delivery notes to Aiman to process and enter into the system.

While PG said two more individuals are suspected of involvement in the case, it has not collected sufficient evidence to file charges against them.

PG further confirmed that the charges brought forth against the suspects only cover MVR 6.7 million worth of mishandled transactions, and added that additional suspects and their subsequent charges will be processed once the ongoing investigation on the case concludes.