President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's administration has affirmed its commitment to respecting and upholding the rights of recipients of housing scheme land plots. This assurance comes in the wake of allegations concerning the management of Hulhumalé land plots under the previous government's 'Binveriyaa' housing scheme.
Chief Spokesperson at the President's Office, Heena Waleed, provided the assurance, stating that the Board of Directors of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), except for the Chairperson, has been suspended pending an ongoing investigation into the matter. The Maldives Police Service (MPS) is currently investigating the allegations of wrongdoing.
The suspension of the HDC Board was implemented to guarantee the impartiality of the police investigation and to foster an environment that facilitates the expeditious completion of the inquiry, Waleed said. She stressed that the rights of the recipients of land plots under the Binveriya housing scheme have been fully protected and assured that the government will refrain from any future actions that could potentially violate these rights.
The HDC board was suspended by the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB), which oversees the privatisation and corporatisation of government businesses to ensure transparency, efficiency, and adherence to legal and international best practices. In a statement, the PCB also stated that the suspension was necessary to allow the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations of wrongdoing.
The PCB's statement indicated that the suspension would remain in place until the police complete their investigation and until the PCB reaches a decision on the matter. Among those suspended are HDC’s Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed, alongside board directors Azhar Abdulla Saeed, Ibrahim Yoosuf Fulhu, Muhammad Visham, Ula Mohamed Rasheed, Arif Abdul Samad, Mohamed Naajil, Mohamed Waheed, Fathmath Mizna Ali, and Yoosuf Waheed.
The Binveriya housing scheme, launched by the previous administration, designated over 9,000 individuals as beneficiaries of land plots. The initiative was carried out with the stated aim of providing land plots for residents of Malé City.