Three senior officials at a government school in Male' have been dismissed following the discovery of a major embezzlement scheme involving the school’s budget.
The officials terminated in connection with the case include the school’s Administrator, Human Resources Manager, and Budget Officer.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) decided to dismiss them following an investigation into allegations that salary payments were being drawn in the name of a former expatriate employee for approximately five years after they had left their post.
A reliable government source revealed that since 2021, the expatriate’s salary was being illicitly deposited into bank accounts belonging to family members of the Budget Officer.
"The embezzlement amounts to approximately MVR 1.5 million," the source said.
According to the official, the matter was first flagged during a random audit conducted after the process for approving teacher salaries was centralized under the Ministry of Education.
While administrative action has been taken following the exposure of the fraud, it remains unconfirmed whether the police or the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) are currently investigating the matter as a criminal offense.
