Central Market embezzlement probe on hold

The investigation into the misappropriation of SRD 850,000 at the financial department of the Central Market has been put ‘on hold’ because officials have decided to improve the payment system.

Wilco Finisie, director at the Ministry of Regional Development explained that officials want to introduce the new payment system within the next two months. As part of the new system, everything will be typed into a computer before a printout of a receipt is given. This means that filling out receipts manually will become a thing of the past.

Finisie pointed out that the authorities will resume the investigation after the new system is up-and-running. Officials still have to dig into the financial records from 2016. This will be done at the request of Regional Development Minister Edgar Dikan. The director claimed that the new payment system will make it impossible to tamper with the numbers that must be put on the receipts. It is expected that the investigation will be resumed in the first quarter of 2019. Several months ago the executives at the market found out that five employees had fiddled with the receipts and that the numbers on the original receipts did not match with those on the copies. Vendors at the Central Market must pay the rent in person whenever the market is open between 7 am and 2 pm. Investigators have already screened the financial records from 2018 and 2017.