Public Service Media (PSM) paid out more than MVR 1 million without proper documentation during Ibrahim Khaleel’s time as managing director. Initially, the government under former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih decided not to release the funds until related lawsuits were resolved. However, the current PSM board chose to make the payments.
PSM’s finance head, Ahmed Haneef, was fired after opposing the release of the funds. The payments, totaling MVR 1,153,992, were made in May and June, including MVR 1,113,992 to JMJ Investment and MVR 40,000 to Abdulla Azmeen.
Of the money paid to JMJ Investment, MVR 400,000 went to the owner, Yasir Yusuf, and MVR 600,000 to the company’s account for repairs and painting jobs. The payment to Azmeen was for a magazine for the 2018 World Cup, but it’s unclear if this payment followed a court order or if the printer was paid.
All these transactions violated PSM’s procurement rules, with no documentation showing the contracting or completion of the work. Shortly before paying Azmeen, PSM’s marketing department sent a document about the magazine work to the finance department. Azmeen is related to Zeena Zahir, PSM’s current managing director.
Several lawsuits against PSM are still in court, mostly about non-payment for work contracted during Khaleel’s time as managing director.
