Fazeel says land docs from previous govt, police say

Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) Deputy Managing Director Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, brother of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed, told the investigation that the previous government had given the registration of land allocation even though he was not on the list of land beneficiaries under the government's Binveirya scheme, police said Thursday.

Maldives Police Service has launched an investigation into allegations that individuals who were not eligible beneficiaries under the previous government’s Binveriya housing scheme received land by submitting fraudulent documents. Among those under scrutiny is Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, Deputy Managing Director of Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) and brother of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed.

Documents leaked on social media earlier this week revealed claims of land allocation irregularities, prompting the investigation.

In a press conference held at Iskandar Koshi Thursday evening, Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Shareef confirmed that six individuals have been questioned in relation to the matter.

Shareef stated that preliminary findings suggest the land registration documents in question were issued during the tenure of the previous government.

“Based on our investigation and the responses we have received, it appears that the documents related to land registration and agreements were processed during the previous term of the administration,” Shareef said.

He later clarified that the documents were issued under the previous government.

Superintendent Rajini Shuaib, who was also present at the press briefing, emphasised that the investigation is ongoing and that no charges have been filed against any party. He added that the authenticity of the documents and the process behind their issuance are still being examined.

When pressed by reporters, Shareef and Shuaib referenced Akram Kamaluddin, the former Minister of State for Housing, who oversaw the land allocation process. Shareef noted that Akram had met with at least one individual linked to the case, though further details of the meeting were not disclosed.

Sharif also confirmed that Fazeel had raised concerns about being excluded from the list of eligible land recipients and had approached Akram to lodge a complaint.

“Fazeel applied for the land but was removed from the eligibility list due to not meeting the criteria. He subsequently approached Akram to address the issue,” Shareef said.

When asked whether Fazeel had ultimately been allocated a plot of land, Shareef stated that the registration and agreement documents were being reviewed by the Ministry of Housing to verify their legitimacy.

The investigation remains active, and authorities have not ruled out further questioning or potential charges as the case progresses.