Former President Abdulla Yameen’s government gave undue benefits to Hulhu-Henveiru constituency MP Moosa Manik’s company ‘Heavyload Maldives,’ an audit has revealed.
The Auditor General’s office recently conducted a special audit of the Thilafalhu reclamation project.
The project was awarded to Heavyload Maldives during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration, to reclaim 156 hectares of land with a budget of USD 21 million (MVR 323 million).
While the agreements states that the work must be completed within seven months, by 24th April 2011, the company was only able to complete 13 percent of the work, which is 24 hectares of land.
Hence, the project was halted on 13th October 2011. During the time period, Heavyload Maldives was issued MVR 4.4 million.
According to the audit report, former President Yameen’s government had given various benefits to the company, “to compensate for the damages incurred to the company for not being allowed to complete the project,” without the approval of the economic council, including three islands in Laamu atoll (worth MVR 62 million).
The three islands are; Boduhuraa, Fares and Kuda Fares.
While this agreement between Heavyload and the tourism ministry was signed on 18th December 2014, it states that, the government owed the company an additional MVR 35 million.
Citing the President’s Office, the audit report noted that this was done solely by the ministry without informing the Thilafushi Corporation Limited or the economic ministry.
Further noting that the reason the tourism ministry got involved in a matter between a private company and state-owned one “remains unclear,” the report emphasized that the ministry “must not be involved” in the matter.
The audit report also noted that the company was given additional benefits through the economic ministry. This includes MVR 35 million and lease fees of three islands (total of MVR 4.1 million).
MP Manik worked closely with Nasheed during his presidency, and later defected to Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) during Yameen’s.
