The audit report of the Environment Ministry for 2015 have revealed that over MVR19 million owed in fines to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had not been paid.
The majority of the fines handed out by the EPA are against damages to the environment, such as ships running aground on reefs and various other infractions.
The report released last week by the Audit Office reveals that a large portion of the fines due to the EPA had remain unpaid. It had been noted that the EPA had option to file lawsuits to recover the fines but had failed to do so.
"Records show that MVR19,075,560 due by the end of 2015 has remain unpaid. It shall be noted that fines from 2009 and 2011 are among these as well," the audit report read.
EPA defended itself, stating that the legal rights for agency to recover the money becomes slim once the fined party request for a legal nullification of the fine.
However, due to shoddy record keeping in such cases, the Auditor General has advised the EPA to compile records against the sanctions on the fined parties, and to take legal action in court if violators fail to make the pay the fines.
