Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz has said that the Rf456,000 (US$31,000) issued to Maldives Media Association (MMA) according to the Finance Report sent by the ministry to parliament was actually issued to Maldives Media Council (MMC) and not to the dissolved NGO MMA.
”It was technically a typing error, we sent the Public Accounts Committee a report consisting information about some of the recent transactions, and the Public Accounts Committee’s Chair MP Ahmed Nazim [who is also the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament] asked us to send detailed information of all the transactions mentioned in the report,” Inaz explained.
He said the ministry then sent the committee details of the transactions in the report, which still had the typing error uncorrected.
”We did not identify that error, and after we sent the details, the chair of the committee told the media that we have used Rf456,000 from the contingency budget to pay salaries of MMA staff,” he said. ”Actually it was used to pay the salaries of MMC staff.”
Inaz said he regretted that Nazim had not verified the typing error with the ministry before going to the media.
”We send the report to the parliament to cooperate with them and to assist them in making us accountable, I attended the committee three days in a row this week and we do not have a policy of withholding information,” he said, adding that he condemned Nazim’s actions and hoped that he would not repeat such things in the future.
”I also apologize to MMA members, but the responsibility goes to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee as well,” Inaz said. ”Things like this make the ministry lose the confidence we have in the Chair of the committee.”
Nazim told local media this week that a report submitted by the Finance Ministry showed that over Rf450,000 from the state budget was issued to the MMA.
In the wake of the revelation, the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) and senior members of the now-defunct Maldives Media Association (MMA) called on the Auditor General and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate the alleged Rf456,000 released from the state’s contingency budget.
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Its a very humble and sincere approach to apologize by Finance Minister. My respects for on this matter. BUT you need to make your staffs accountable for the mistakes made! I also agree with you that Jangiyya Nazim (most famous for his corruption and arrogance and affliations with Gang volience) is at fault here for not verifying from finance ministry. I am sure he did this on purpose to take advantage of this silly and careless mistake! Jangiya Nazim is a crook!!
Jangiya is a crook. Jangiya is a crook. Non-religious stuff need not be repeated 33 times, people will still remember and know that it is so.
But that does not absolve the Finance minister and his staff from the utter stupid mistakes and junk that is spewed out on a daily basis.
Nazim is a successful man. Success spawns enemies. Enemies need not be dealt with if they are just common folk angry at their own inability to succeed.
The Finance Minister is a kid who got lucky. He should think twice before trapping himself inside MDP politics.
We all know Anni is a powerless puppet. Reeko & Mariya are running the show along with Lintel et al.
The next election will be fraught with several more difficulties. Inaz should bide his time in silence. One should always follow Yamin's advice about politics. Don't tie yourself in unbreakable knots. Be ready to make alliances with your enemies if they offer you the better alternative.
Can you call a 35 year old man, a kid? Tsk tsk!
True, Anni is a powerless puppet. But whose running the game? Who is sure anymore? We dont even have a proper political party. I wouldnt call MDP, DRP or any other P or PP 'em a political party. They all have their own personal interest and their own personal agenda. Its apparently all about money.
Inaz should really step down before he gets dissolved in these political mayhem. He is better off somewhere else. Leave the lies and corruption to the so called adults :p