9 housing ministry staff suspended in forged land probe
They are, the official said, three categories of political employees.
Government has suspended nine employees of the housing ministry as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of land allocation through forged documents under the Binveriya housing scheme.
The housing ministry suspensions come a day after the government suspended all members of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) board except for Chairman Ahmed Nasif, including Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed.
A government official confirmed the housing ministry suspensions on Friday, stating they were implemented to ensure the independence of the police investigation and to prevent potential interference.
“The employees were suspended to allow the investigation to proceed independently and to avoid giving access to anything that could disrupt the process,” the official said.
They are, the official said, three categories of political employees. They are likely to include state ministers, deputy ministers or political directors.
The investigation, initiated after documents were leaked on social media, centres on allegations that individuals not eligible under the Binveriya scheme were granted land through fraudulent means.
The leaked documents suggest that two individuals were allocated a single plot of land in the second phase of Hulhumale. Among them is Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, Deputy Managing Director of Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) and brother of HDC Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed.
In July, HDC Deputy Director Ahmed Aiman signed a letter to the housing ministry requesting confirmation of the rightful recipients of the land.
The investigation remains ongoing, with further developments expected as authorities continue to review the documentation and processes involved.
