Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Rozaina Adam has said that invoices from the former presidential palace Theemuge she leaked through Twitter on Friday were “just a few among thousands” at the parliament’s Finance Committee.
In a press statement issued in response to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s attorney denying wrongdoing by the Gayoom family, the DRP MP for Thulusdhoo noted that the former president’s lawyer had neither contested the authenticity of the bills and invoices nor denied that the expenses were made out of the Theemuge budget.
Gayoom’s lawyer Ibrahim Waheed had insisted in a press statement on Sunday that all expenditure out of the presidential palace was “in accordance with the rules and regulations” as parliament had approved the funds for the palace.
However, Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim told newspaper Haveeru today that the state should recover funds used by former presidents on their families and associates. Lack of legislation explicitly prohibiting such expenses was not an obstacle to recovering the misappropriated funds, the Auditor General contended.
He noted that there was no law that authorised the use of public funds for personal expenses, adding that assistance from state funds should be provided on an equal and fair basis.
“Even if its Nasheed, Waheed or Maumoon, no one can spend state funds for their own personal use,” Niyaz was quoted as saying.
While the Theemuge audit report for 2007 and 2008 was released in April 2009, Rozaina meanwhile explained that the Auditor General’s Office sent bills from the former presidential palace to the parliament’s powerful public accounts oversight committee in 2012.
The damning audit report revealed that extravagant expenses for the Gayoom family were made out of the Theemuge Welfare Fund, earmarked for helping the poor.
In addition to the invoices she posted on Friday, Rozaina revealed that documents at the committee showed that former First Lady Nasreena Ibrahim took US$50,000 in cash during a trip to Dubai on May 6, 2007.
In her statement, Rozaina noted the expenses she exposed on Friday in Maldivian Rufiya: MVR193,209 on trouser material in 2008; MVR116,373 for Gayoom’s daughter Yumna Maumoon’s stay in Singapore’s Grand Hyatt Hotel in 2007; MVR364,958 for Yumna’s stay at the same hotel during the previous year; MVR202,096 for Yumna’s husband Nadeem, Gayoom’s son Gassan Maumoon and his wife Swineetha’s stay in the hotel; and over MVR29,000 for Gassan’s spectacles.
On Waheed’s claim that the expenses were lawful, Rozaina noted that the former Auditor General had recommended recovering the funds used by Gayoom’s family and associates and pressing charges against the former president for misappropriation of public funds.
The audit report had noted that over US$ 3 million earmarked for helping the poor was spent on “the president’s relatives, ministers and their families, senior government officials and some MPs.”
The report stated that 49 percent of the palace’s budget, equivalent to MVR 48.2 million (US$3,750,000 at the time), was diverted from the budget for the poor in 2007 and 52 percent, MVR 44.9 million (US$3,500,000), in 2008.
Rozaina meanwhile went on to say that she believed the public should know of the extravagant spending by the former president’s family, as it was done at a time when a large number of Maldivian citizens displaced by the tsunami were living in temporary shelters.
The family’s shopping sprees in London and stays in expensive hotels in Singapore could have paid for a number of infrastructure projects in her constituency alone, Rozaina noted, such as building classrooms in Kaafu Huraa or establishing sewerage systems in Kaafu Thulusdhoo, Himmafushi and Dhiffushi.
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Only those who have really benefited from the generosity of Maumoon and his family can support this man after knowing just how much of our money this guy has used to give his family a luxurious life. Just imagine how much more that money could have done for this country in terms of infrastructure for health and education, in terms of services for health and education and in terms of developing the atolls to enable a better life for the atolls population. Maumoon and his whole family should be on trial for misappropriation of public funds. They have stolen from the people of Maldives.
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/45270
Same news as reported on pro Gayoom haveeru news paper, owned by Gayooms close friend and classmate and minister for 30 golden years of Gayooms rule.
Of Plastic surgery and alcohol. Where are these bills????? Maumoon has done a lot of plastic surgery on government expense.
And used alcohol.
Once again before the approaching elections we are being asked to concentrate on Gayoom's spending of 3.5 million dollars or is it 35 million dollars or is it 350 million dollars.?
President Nasheed in 3 yrs in charge as president was unable to pin any wrongdoing according to the prevalent rules then; if this was not the case President Nasheed would have Gayoom convicted in court or worst. President Nasheed failed to take Gayoom' to court.
Now probably partners in Crime Thasneem & Co with maybe first hand knowledge of how the state was allegedly robbed & With his stooges like Rozaina having the inside knowledge of how the 350 million dollars of our money were spent on hangers on like themselves at the time now feel confident to claim their revenge on the wily old authoritarian ruler not long ago their partners n boss n crime.
Its hoped that Thasneem n his mate Raozaina whilst getting their revenge on their old hero n boss quickly return to the more pressing problems of the day like 1- reforming the Judiciary 2- Dealing with the 30 Murderous Gangs in Male by working on effective legislation that would give the law enforcement agencies teeth to put them behind bars. 3. To get Parliment to function in a civilised manner.
The help of Thasneem n Rozaina in these regard would be a lasting contribution and the icing could be then to deny their old buddy , hero n boss his civic rights so he can't compete (doubt he wud be mad to compete anyway) n put him behind bars. Be what it may the 359 million dollars spent or stolen 10 yrs ago is the least of our worries at the present moment of time.
Maybe Thasneem, Rozana. N DRP sees things in a different perspective. 🙂
@ T
Maumoon in a televised address to parliament has stated that he and 5 or 6 of his friends had guns on the night he was sworn in first (11 Nov. 1978). Guns that must have been imported as they dont grow on coconut palms.
Anni simply did not want to bring Maumoon to justice. Anni created the inquiry commission just to appease some MDP supporters. If he wanted Anni could have put Maumoon behind bars just for this alone let alone emblazonment of public funds for the pleasure of his family and friends.
Also we have no illusions about what would happen to any court case against Maumoon or his cronies submitted to the current judiciary in Maldives.
No law ever in Maldives authorised a head of state to give loans from the budget of President's Office or spend on his family and friends from the Welfare Budget of Theemuge... Lalalaa