Azim says missing docs delaying disclosure of council allocations
The Housing Ministry temporarily managed the projects for six months before returning some to the city council.
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Malé City Mayor Adam Azim has said that documents related to several city council projects temporarily handed over to the Ministry of Housing have not been properly recorded, delaying efforts to compile and disclose information on land and project allocations.
Speaking at a city council meeting on Wednesday, Azim said he had pledged to provide a full list of individuals and entities who have been allocated land, projects, and parking spaces by the council. However, he noted that incomplete documentation is hindering this process.
“The things here — to whom were they given, for how long, and at what price? I will explain them. That is my promise. I will fulfil that promise,” Azim said.
According to the mayor, the delay stems from a previous decision by the city council, prior to his tenure, which led to the transfer of documents to the Ministry of Housing without proper logging.
“I asked the Secretary General what agreements were taken. What documents were taken. I will not talk about invisible things. Therefore, there are many difficulties,” Azim said.
In further comments to Atoll Times, Azim explained that the documents were taken to the ministry by the former Secretary General before he assumed office. The city council, he said, has no record of what was transferred.
As a result:
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The council is unable to produce a complete list of land and project allocations
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The Housing Ministry has returned only limited documentation
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There is no assurance that the returned documents are complete or accurate
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It remains unclear whether the Ministry took only documents related to awarded projects
To address the issue, Azim said the city council is reviewing email correspondence and documents received from the ministry to rebuild the records.
“This is a serious error that should not have occurred. However, the council’s efforts have now progressed a lot in compiling the list,” he said.
The issue relates to a decision made by the previous PNC-majority council five days before Azim took office. That meeting, chaired by then-Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh, approved the transfer of all city council projects valued at more than MVR 100 million to the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure.
The resolution also included a clause stating that if the Ministry did not begin work on the projects within six months, they would be returned to the city council.
The Housing Ministry temporarily managed the projects for six months before returning some to the city council.
