MWSC subsidiary cancels rental agreement amid graft accusation
The allegations surfaced on social media, drawing attention to discrepancies in the lease agreements.
Island Beverages Maldives (IBM), a subsidiary of Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), has terminated a lease agreement following allegations of corruption related to the accommodation of foreign employees, MWSC Managing Director Abdul Matheen announced on Tuesday.
The allegations surfaced on social media, drawing attention to discrepancies in the lease agreements. According to the details shared online:
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The accommodation was rented from a company named Tele Maldives.
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The initial agreement, signed on August 27, set the monthly rent at MVR 60,000.
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A second agreement, signed on October 22, increased the rent to MVR 200,000.
In a post on X, Matheen stated that MWSC had been aware of the issue for several days and had taken steps to address it. He confirmed that the lease agreement had been cancelled.
“We received a complaint about the labour accommodation process and prices for IBM several days ago. The MWSC board reviewed the matter with the internal audit team, and IBM has now been directed to take the necessary action,” Matheen wrote.
IBM has been instructed to cancel the agreement and restart the search for suitable labor accommodation, Matheen added.
Social media platforms have recently seen a surge in allegations of corruption involving state-owned enterprises. These include claims of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) selling land at undervalued prices, allocating land to individuals not on official list of Binveriya scheme, and irregularities in awarding flats to winners.
