Probe into RDC continues; no instructions to stop, police say
Police are investigating a case in which MVR 13.8 million was allegedly transferred from the RDC's main account to Yasir's personal account.
An investigation into the alleged deposit of a large amount of money from the company’s main account into the account of a senior official of the Road Development Corporation (RDC) is still ongoing, police said on Wednesday.
RDC Chief Financial Officer Yasir Hassan and its Managing Director Moosa Ali Manik have been accused of embezzling RDC funds. Some news agencies have reported that:
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Police are investigating a case in which MVR 13.8 million was allegedly transferred from the RDC's main account to Yasir's personal account
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The details of how the money was used after it was transferred to Yasir's account are unknown
Police sent a message to the media on Wednesday responding to allegations that President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih has ordered the police not to investigate the case.
According to the police message:
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No one has been asked to take any specific action in the investigation in order to influence or prevent the investigation
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None of the parties involved in the investigation have shared any information with Dhiyares news, which published the report
"The service is concerned about the spread of untrue information, which undermines the public's confidence in the investigations conducted by the Maldives Police Service without checking the authenticity of the information," the police said in a statement.
The police urged the public not to spread such false information.
A reliable source has confirmed to Atoll Times that the police started investigating the large amount of money deposited in the account of a senior RDC official after the financial intelligence unit of the central bank MMA reported the matter to the police.
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) at the MMA is:
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A separate independent unit established in the MMA under the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act
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The unit is responsible for submitting financial transactions suspected of money laundering and terrorism financing to agencies for investigation when they come to attention
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Banks should bring such suspected transactions to the attention of the FIU
Moosa has denied the allegations of theft from the RDC. Responding to the allegations, Moosa tweeted last week, "This is not Yameen to steal and deposit money into his own account”.
"You can see the transactions from one account to another, of course. When writing short stories, it would be better to practice writing more believable stories," he had said.
The RDC has also issued a statement denying the theft allegations. According to the company's statement:
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No such transaction and no related transactions have ever taken place in the company’s account
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The RDC is audited annually; the Auditor General's Office is still conducting a special audit of the company
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The auditor was quoted as saying that no financial transactions or issues were identified in violation of the company's financial policies.
