The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has sent a case accusing the former Chairman of State Trading Organisation (STO) Farooq Umar of corruption, to the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office.
A press statement released by ACC states that Farooq was accused of accepting $19,000 (MVR292,800) as bribes from a supplier. ACC’s investigations revealed that this money was credited into his account and used by him.
ACC said that the bribe was offered by a Sri Lankan company, and that Farooq is being accused under article 2 of the Corruption Prevention Act which relates to bribery. The case was sent to PG last Sunday.
Meanwhile, ACC is also investigating a case pertaining to the use of a corporate credit card which belongs to STO’s Managing Director Shahid Ali, by Farooq to purchase personal items.
This case was submitted to AC by a private group, and was investigated by Parliament’s Finance Committee as well.
STO said in its defence that according to company policy, corporate credit cards can be used by not just its Chairman, but also its employees. It stressed that no corruption was involved.
Farooq said in an earlier interview with Sun Online that corporate credit cards should not be used for person purposes. He did not indicate back then whether he had used the card for such a purpose.
Farooq was dismissed from his post as Chairman of STO when President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik reconstituted the Board of Directors of government companies, following the resignation of former President Mohamed Nasheed.