Male', Maldives: Maldives Basketball Association (MBA), currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), has refuted allegations of fund misappropriation, attributing the claims to an error in information provided by the Ministry of Sports, Fitness and Recreation.
The controversy stems from a Right to Information (RTI) response issued by the ministry to a private firm. The ministry's records suggested that the MBA had received funds for similar purposes in two separate tournaments.
According to the RTI documents, MVR 195,371.40 was released in December 2022 to cover expenses for two Sri Lankan teams invited to compete in the national basketball tournament. A similar amount was disbursed in January 2023 for the Zahir Naseer Memorial Invitational Basketball Tournament, also for Sri Lankan teams.
These inconsistencies led to a private party filing a complaint with the ACC, alleging that the MBA received duplicate payments and questioning whether the Sri Lankan teams had participated in the national tournament at all.
MBA's General Secretary Visham Rasheed. --- PHOTO: MBA
In response, MBA General Secretary Visham Rasheed "Vizuppe," told Adhadhu Sports that the association never brought foreign teams for a national tournament.
He stressed that no funds were misappropriated or obtained through misinformation.
“When Mihaaru News first approached me about the case, I clarified that it was a misunderstanding due to wrong information provided by the ministry. The matter needed proper clarification,” Visham said, emphasizing that the media should not have published defamatory stories without verifying the facts.
Following the allegations, the MBA contacted the ministry for clarification. In its response, the ministry acknowledged the error.
According to a letter from the ministry, the reference to "accommodation for the Sri Lankan team invited for the national tournament" was due to a clerical mistake, and the funds in question were not deposited twice with the MBA.
“The funds for the Sri Lankan team were allocated in 2023 and were not duplicated,” the ministry stated in its letter, confirming that the MBA was not at fault.
Visham reiterated that the issue was purely an administrative error and criticized the media for spreading misinformation without considering the explanation provided by the MBA.
