MWSC deputy chief suspended over forged land agreement

Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) on Thursday suspended its Deputy Managing Director, Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, in connection with allegations of a forged agreement related to land allocated under the Binveriya scheme.

Fazeel is the brother of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Managing Director, Ibrahim Fazul.

In a statement issued by MWSC, the company confirmed the suspension to accommodate and fully cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.

“Effective immediately, Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed has been relieved of all responsibilities and suspended from office,” the statement read.

The matter came to public attention when documents were shared on social media by an account run by Hassan Kurusee. The leaked documents revealed that two individuals had been allocated the same plot of land in the second phase of Hulhumale.

The documents included a letter signed by HDC Deputy Director Ahmed Aiman, dated July, seeking clarification from the housing ministry about the rightful owner of the plot.

Key findings from the leaked documents include:

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday evening, HDC Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul stated that the issue was initially identified by HDC and reported to the Housing Ministry for verification.

“We identified discrepancies when two parties applied for permission to build a fence for the same plot. Upon noticing this, we informed the housing ministry for further investigation,” Fazul said.

Fazul emphasised that HDC does not manage the registry of the landlord scheme or issue agreements related to land allocation. He noted that the registry was issued by the previous government, and the responsibility for verifying eligibility lies with the housing ministry.

“All agreements and land transfers are determined by the housing ministry, not HDC,” Fazul added.

In addition to Fazeel’s suspension, all HDC board members, except Chairman Ahmed Nasif, have been suspended. The investigation into the matter is ongoing, and law enforcement authorities have entered HDC headquarters to gather evidence.