7 weeks’ jail for ex-executive director of madrasah who misappropriated over $68k of its money

In April 2017, the madrasah appointed a company called Key-Orient Lamitec (KOL) as the sole and exclusive distributor of the books.

As part of an agreement, the madrasah would receive royalty payments from KOL, which was also entitled to enter into arrangements with other entities to market and distribute the books.

In June 2018, the trust entered into an agreement with KOL in which it was given the exclusive rights to promote, market, sell and distribute the textbooks.

A content licence agreement was later signed between KOL and Cambridge University Press India.

Under this agreement, KOL granted Cambridge the right to print and publish the textbooks exclusively for the Maldives government.

In return, Cambridge would pay a content development fee to KOL.

Between January 2019 and February 2020, Cambridge paid KOL $205,888 for the use of the master copy of the textbooks.

KOL was obligated to pay $116,671 to the trust and $68,629 to the madrasah.

In an e-mail dated Feb 5, 2020, to a KOL employee, Razak directed KOL to transfer the royalties, totalling $185,300, to the trust.

Two days later, KOL transferred the amount with the understanding that the trust would transfer $68,629 to the madrasah.

However, the amount was not transferred.

At the trust’s board of directors meeting on Feb 15, 2020, Razak told the other directors that the trust “has made annual contributions of $20,000 since 2017” to the madrasah.

He said that the board should resolve to “make a donation of $70,000” to the madrasah.

The prosecution said: “However, (Razak) failed to take steps to make payment to the madrasah until Feb 22, 2022, when he prepared a cheque of $70,000 issued by ITL (the trust).”

The money included the sum of $68,629 which he misappropriated.

The crime was uncovered when the Commercial Affairs Department launched a probe into Razak’s financial dealings with the madrasah.

Separately, Razak, who was a senior director at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) from 2011 to January 2016, was convicted of one count of misusing a computer system linked to the madrasah.

He did this after he left MUIS and the school.

MUIS has oversight over the madrasah, and while in MUIS, Razak was tasked to manage the school’s affairs.

According to court documents, Razak wanted to access the computer system to continue receiving e-mails that were sent to his personal address linked to the madrasah.

The prosecution said that he was no longer entitled to access the e-mail server or use the e-mail address.

There is no evidence this offence caused any losses or damage.

Razak has since made full restitution linked to the $68,629.

On Sept 18, defence lawyer Aristotle Eng told the court that Razak intends to file an appeal, and his bail has been set at $30,000.