Two MPL and FSM employees sentenced to eight years over MVR 6.7 million fuel fraud

The chief manager of the procurement department of Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) and the driver of a Fuel Supplies Maldives (FSM) oil tanker have been sentenced to eight years in jail and ordered to pay more than MVR 6 million over a major fuel fraud case.

MPL’s Chief Manager of Procurement, Mohamed Aiman, and Sojib, a Bangladeshi driver of FSM’s oil boat, were charged with embezzlement and producing false documents with intent to deceive. The two were indicted on February 25, 2024.

They were convicted and sentenced to eight years, nine months and 18 days in jail. The court also ordered the state to recover MVR 6.7 million worth of oil.

According to the lawsuit, Aiman, as senior manager of MPL’s procurement department, claimed the company had received fuel that was never delivered during 2019, and instructed staff to accept 119 delivery notes prepared between January 13 and October 10, 2020.

The delivery notes were accepted and processed in the system, leading to MVR 6.7 million being paid to FSM for 783,100 liters of diesel that MPL never received. Sojib, who was FSM’s oil bowser driver, participated in the fraud by preparing and signing the 119 delivery notes during the period.