Auditor General’s Office has stated that all expenses by the Attorney General’s Office (AG Office) in 2024 were conducted in compliance with the Public Finance Act.
The 2024 Audit Report of the AG Office, signed by Auditor General Hussain Niyaazi, states that no discrepancies were found between the budget passed for that financial year, the amounts cited in the budget expenditure statement, and the records in the public accounting system.
The report noted that generally, the AG Office had spent the allocated amount in the budget on the specified causes. Other financial matters of the office had also been maintained in accordance with the Public Finance Act, the audit report states.
While the final 2024 budget for the AG Office came to MVR 34.83 million, the office had spent a total of MVR 34.5 million. This includes expenditures on staff, pension, allowances for non-specific tasks, transport costs, procurement for administrative purposes, services for administrative purposes, trainings, and repair and maintenance.
The audit report states that the highest expenses amongst this was on staff and services for administrative purposes.
2024 Statistics:
- A total of 556 cases were filed with the AG Office, including 125 against the State and 431 initiated by the State.
- 46 cases against the State have been concluded, with 79 cases currently pending in court. Of 303 cases initiated by the State and submitted to court, 169 cases have been concluded, and 134 are pending in court. Another 162 cases were rejected.
- 941 cases were sent for legal advice from the Attorney General, from which he has responded to 850.
- 40 bills to be submitted to parliament by the government was drafted and sent to the President’s Office.
- 289 individuals applied for representation by State attorneys in human rights related cases. Attorneys were arranged for 188 individuals amongst these who were deemed eligible.
- The AG Office also carried out training programmes and participation in various committees. By the end of 2024, 88 staff members served with the AG office.
While the Auditor General’s Office has found full compliance on the part of the AG office, recent audit reports of other institutions have highlighted several issues. This includes failure to maintain proper records of expenditure, and acts of corruption.