Island Expert Private Limited, involved in the construction of police and military flats in Hulhumalé, has reportedly provided expensive “gifts” and benefits to various high-ranking police officials, according to reliable sources.
Sources familiar with the matter informed “Adhadhu” newspaper that during the construction of police flats, some senior police leaders received cars, motorcycles, and even had the interiors of their personal apartments furnished.
“Police leaders frequently traveled to Bangkok during that period, with trips arranged by Island Expert. This is a well-known topic within the police,” said a source who requested anonymity.
Additionally, some police leaders are reportedly still residing in flats previously used by Island Expert. Due to these connections, the source expressed doubt about the possibility of a thorough investigation.
The Parliament’s Public Finance Committee has initiated efforts to locate 24 expensive vehicles, believed to be missing, which were imported duty-free under the pretext of constructing police flats. The missing vehicles include 14 crane lorries, two brand new motorcycles, two vans, a car, three tower cranes, and an overhead traveling crane.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has begun investigating the alleged cases involving POLCO. Furthermore, the Auditor General’s Office has released an audit related to the police housing project.
According to a special audit published by the Auditor’s Office on January 24, the state has incurred a loss of 354 million rufiyaa due to POLCO’s incompetence and corruption in the construction of three 13-story towers for the police Blues Housing Project. The total expenditure on the project has reached 1.06 billion rufiyaa.
The audit report highlighted significant embezzlement under the guise of building police flats. Changes made to the Blues Housing Project over different periods have resulted in a total expenditure of nearly 1.1 billion rufiyaa.
Initially, the police housing project was awarded to Noomadi company without any announcement or tender. Subsequently, the entire project was handed over to Island Expert, Noomadi’s subcontractor. The Managing Director of Island Expert, who is also Noomadi’s representative, was noted to have benefited from the project instead of the state.
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