Retired village administrator accused of COVID-19 fund misappropriation

By Myo Myint Zaw 07 Oct 2020

Myo Myint Zaw | DMG
7 October 2020, Taungup

Residents of Nat Maw village in Arakan State’s Taungup Township have complained to the Anti-Corruption Commission, alleging that their former local administrator misappropriated the government’s COVID-19 relief fund, a village source said.

A village 10-household head, U Soe Hlaing, has accused the retired village administrator U Chit Maung Maung of pocketing the COVID-19 and social welfare funds intended for children and pregnant women, as well as alleging corrupt dealings involving plots of village land valued at about K26 million. 

Nat Maw village residents collectively signed a complaint to the Anti-Corruption Commission that was lodged on September 21.

Formerly the Nat Maw village administrator, U Chit Maung Maung has retired and one of his relatives has reportedly taken over the position. The anti-graft commission is handling the village administrator’s case now, sources said.

U Soe Hlaing said the government had provided five food items to 119 households in Nat Maw village during an initial round of COVID-19 relief assistance in April. He said U Chit Maung Maung gave the food supplies to only 39 households, adding that no one received anything when the government provided K20,000 for each villager previously. U Soe Hlaing also accused U Chit Maung Maung of pocketing funds earmarked for distribution to elderly people.

Nat Maw villager Ko Zaw Lin Aung alleged that U Chit Maung Maung made a fund recipient list consisting of only those households in his good graces when he was the village administrator.

“There are people saying that only the relatives of the administrator received the fund and others are not getting it. It should be fair,” he said.

“An investigation team has been formed and it has started work to take action against U Chit Maung Maung,” Taungup Township administrator U Saw Min Thu and Police Major Than Naing of the Taungup Township police station told DMG on October 6.

DMG was unsuccessful in its attempts to get comment from U Chit Maung Maung.