An audit report has found that Addu City Council spent more than MVR 1.2 million on two overseas trips undertaken in violation of government directives aimed at reducing recurrent expenditure.

The finding was included in the council's 2022 and 2023 compliance audit reports and 2024 financial audit report published by the Auditor General's Office. The report states that eight council members and two staff members spent MVR 515,101 on an eight-day trip to Malaysia and Singapore in November 2023.

According to the audit, participants attended a "Creative Thinking and Problem Solving Skills" training programme at the Malaysian Institute of Management. However, the report noted that the training was not directly related to the stated objective of urban development, while visits conducted in Singapore were also not found to be directly linked to the purpose of the trip.

The audit further revealed that MVR 685,509 was spent on a second overseas trip in February 2024 involving nine members of the Women's Development Committee, a council member and the council's Secretary-General.

The Auditor General's Office noted that both trips were undertaken despite government instructions requiring councils to reduce recurrent expenditure and limit travel to essential purposes. The report stated that the council proceeded with the trips without adequately considering those directives.