FSM to install CCTV cameras on barges over rising sale of stolen fuel

Fuel Supply Maldives (FSM) has announced its decision to install cameras aboard its fuel barges over the rising sale of stolen fuel from the company’s fuel barges.

The company has many prior records of stolen fuel and its subsequent sale where the company’s employees had gained illicit riches.

Responding to a question by a lawmaker during Wednesday’s Public Accounts Committee meeting, FSM’s Managing Director Fathimath Ashan said the issue of sale of stolen fuel from the company’s fuel barges remains prevalent with all crew members on two fuel barges sacked recently over such a case.

To resolve this, Ashan said the company has commenced a pilot project to install CCTV cameras aboard its fuel barges, which will include the installation of ‘modems’ to allow monitoring of onboard activities via a live feed.

According to Aashaan, modems have already been installed across two of the company’s fuel barges with plans to complete the installation of the equipment across remaining barges in the near future.

“The Board has recommended the installation of CCTV cameras at the earliest. With the installation of the CCTV cameras, we can monitor onboard activities [live] through this modem,” she explained.

Apart from this, Ashan said the company has also decided to rotate barge employees every three months as part of efforts to resolve the issue.

Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, citing the company has a longstanding history of sale of stolen fuel, asked how many such incidents have been observed.

In response, Ashan said while she is unaware of specific numbers, investigations have uncovered repeated incidents in specific barges. She attributed this to failure to take proper action prior to this.

On the contrary, Ashan underscored that the company’s management will treat such cases with renewed seriousness from now on.

FSM is a subsidiary of the state’s trading company, State Trading Organization (STO) and one of the biggest suppliers of fuel in the Maldives.