ACC has concluded a case addressed in Upper South division’s National Administration’s audit report (number: SPE-2013-09) claiming that the Minister of Upper South Province Office spent 55% of the working days away from office on travel, but were given the salary and benefits without any deductions for the absent days. The audit report further elucidates that the Upper South National Administration spent a total of MVR 453,200.00 as salary and benefits entitled to the Minister during the year 2010. The report also claims that since October 2010, the State Minister’s attendance was left unchecked.
Upon investigation, the Minister’s attendance records for 2010 were not found from the Province Office or the Auditor’s General’s Office. Hence, ACC was unable to identify the validity of the claim made in the Audit report as there were no written evidence to base the investigation on. Besides, a policy on providing salary and checking the attendance of political personnel were not introduced until 29 January 2012. Also, the statements obtained for the investigation reinforces the fact that such a policy did not exist in 2010.
Thereby, the investigation did not reveal any contravention with the law number 2/2000 (Prevention and Prohibition of Corruption Act), in providing salary and benefits to the Ministry of Upper South Province Office. Hence, the case was concluded under section 25 (a) (1) of law number 13/2008 (Anti-Corruption Commission Act), as there was no offence of corruption in the case.