Cases filed to PG Office against 76 candidates, for failure to submit financial reports

Elections Commission has filed cases against 76 candidates to the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office, following their failure to submit financial reports on campaign expenditure for the Parliamentary Election held in March 2014.

PG Office has confirmed that the cases were received last Thursday, and are under assessment.

Elections Commission said earlier that these 76 candidates do not include any incumbent Members of Parliament.

Article 73 of the Elections General Act requires all candidates to submit financial reports on campaign expenditure to the Elections Commission, within 30 days of the election being held.

Financial reports have been submitted by 226 out of 302 candidates who contested in the Parliamentary Election 2014.

Candidates are required to disclose financial details such as the total amount spent on the campaign, means employed to obtain campaign funds, information on groups that provided campaign funds, and the statement of the bank account opened for campaign purposes.

Failure to disclose this information could result in a prison term from six months to two years, or a fine between MVR 6,000 and MVR 24,000.