The Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Abdulla Muththalib has issued a stark warning to everyone who had acquired lands or flats from social housing schemes through fraudulent means.
Allegations of fraud and scams in social housing schemes have long been rampant in the island nation. Manipulation of marks or tampering with the recipients list remains key grievances of the public.
The recent allegations of fraud and forgery in the previous government’s Binveriyaa and Gedhoruveriyaa schemes have exacerbated public outcry.
Minister Muththalib told reporters that in addition to the allegations of fraud within State institutions over such schemes, criminal elements within society have scammed dozens of people out of their life savings in the name of awarding land or flats.
The Minister warned that the government will not hesitate to seize any ill-gotten flat or land.
He insisted that the construction of the boundary wall on lands and handover of flats acquired through illicit means will not be safe from seizure.
“Even if the land registry is issued and the land is handed over, even if the boundary wall construction wall has started, if the land or flat is given to an ineligible person, we will seize that property,” Minister Muththalib warned.
“We will take that step. The land was given to the people of Male’ for a specific purpose. If we investigate and find out that it was ill-gotten, we seize it. We will begin from the 2nd phase of Hulhumale’.”
The Minister said housing remains the primary concern of society, adding that this Administration will not tolerate corruption or fraud in any way or form especially within State institutions.
Maldives Police Service (MPS) has revealed that its investigations had found that the documents related to the disputed Binveriyaa Scheme were submitted to the Housing Development Corporation Limited (HDC) by individuals who had not applied for land under the scheme.