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State Audit highlights convictions in public sector corruption cases

21 Oct 2024 State Audit highlights convictions in public sector corruption cases By OUR CORRESPONDENT

Muscat – State Audit Institution (SAI) has announced that 115 cases involving misuse of public funds were addressed in 2023. Convictions in these cases included prison sentences ranging from one month to ten years and fines of up to RO63,000.

The cases primarily involved violations such as bribery, forgery, embezzlement, abuse of office and conflicts of interest. According to the 2023 SAI Community Brief, of the total, 28 cases were referred to the Public Prosecution, while 22 are under investigation and 65 cases are pending from previous years. 

Among the notable cases, the marketing and sales manager of Oman Fisheries Company was convicted for money laundering and illegally benefiting from his position. He accepted bribes amounting to US$5,400 and US$794 from foreign companies, in addition to laundering US$6,194 outside Oman. The manager was sentenced to ten years in prison and fined RO50,000, among other penalties, including deportation after serving his prison sentence.

The finance director of Oman Dates Production and Packaging Company embezzled RO63,535 for which the court sentenced him to one-year imprisonment, restitution of embezzled funds and additional fines. His co-conspirators were punished for participating in the embezzlement and received varying degrees of imprisonment and financial penalties.

A case at the former Public Authority for Social Insurance (now Social Protection Fund) involved forgery of an official document. A staff member forged a signature to transfer RO7,000 to his account for which he was sentenced to four years in prison.

In another significant case, a consulting company involved in the Al Batinah Expressway project facilitated illegal subcontracting, benefiting its owner and Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology employees. The conflict of interest and use of public positions for personal gain resulted in imprisonment, removal from office and confiscation of funds.

Additionally, a case at Muscat Municipality involved an employee accepting a bribe of RO21,551 to register lease contracts with undervalued rates and bypass technical inspections for companies. The employee and co-conspirators were slapped with heft fines, removed from office and imprisoned. Several accomplices were also convicted for their roles in forgery, bribery and misuse of public funds.

SAI’s efforts in 2023 reflect continuing crackdown on corruption and misuse of public funds across government and private entities. The punitive actions highlight the importance of transparency and accountability in public office, sending a clear message that violations will be met with strict legal consequences.

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