A state audit of the Islamic Minsitry’s finances for 2016 has left auditors unsure if up to MVR 13 million in sums collected for zakat were distributed.  

The Auditor General’s Office said that it was unable to acquire statements on the amount sent to be distributed to the outer lying atolls and the details of any sums that may have been left after zakat had been distributed.

While state officers had reportedly asked the ministry to produce said details to no avail, they are unable to account for over MVR 13 million (13,480,100) of the sums allocated to zakat – which the ministry collects from households every year.

The audit report further said that it was the ministry’s responsibility to ensure that the funds due to their recipients are distributed, as per public finance regulations.