Audit reveals MVR 40m 'waste' for transitional justice office

Ombudsperson's Office for Transitional Justice, established in 2020 under a special law to investigate state injustices, ceased operations on November 17, 2023, after its two-year mandate expired. During its tenure, the office received 488 complaints but was unable to achieve significant results, despite spending MVR 40 million in public funds.

According to the latest audit report released by the Auditor General’s Office last week, the office incurred expenditures of:

The total spending amounted to MVR 40 million, equivalent to an average annual budget of MVR 10 million.

Although the office’s mandate was later extended to five years, it managed to resolve only two-thirds of the cases filed before its closure. None of these resolutions resulted in compensation or reparative actions for the complainants.

The audit report found no irregularities in the financial management of the office. Financial transactions, accounting, and expenditures were conducted according to regulations. However, the report underscored that the significant budget allocation had not translated into meaningful outcomes for the complainants.

When the office was dissolved, 30 unresolved cases were transferred to the Attorney General’s Office. According to the AG’s Office, there is currently no clear plan for how these cases will proceed, and no information has been provided on their current status.

The report has raised questions about the value and impact of the office, highlighting the significant expenditure without delivering justice or measurable results for those who sought recourse through the transitional justice mechanism.