Ex-PG, ex-judge raise concern over below-market price sale of land by Ministry

Former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Al Suood and former Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizzu have raised serious concerns following the circulation of a leaked memo purportedly issued by the Housing Ministry, which details the sale of a state-owned plot of land in Hulhumalé Phase 2 at a significantly below-market price.

Husnu Al Suood, who resigned from the Supreme Court after being suspended during the current administration, posted an image of a document purported to be an official memo from the Housing Ministry on X on Tuesday. Dated last Thursday and titled ‘Regarding the Sale of Hulhumalé Plot Number 20759,’ the memo states that a 1,250-square-foot plot in Hulhumalé Phase 2 is to be sold to an individual named Ahmed Zahir. It also requests that arrangements be made to facilitate payment for the transaction.

Hello @MMuizzu migothah Hulhumale in goacheh libeynee kihiney hadhaigen thoa? @muththo pic.twitter.com/6rYX9DeYtQ

— Husnu Al Suood (@husnusuood) September 8, 2026

According to the document, the plot is to be sold at MVR 375 per square foot, amounting to a total of MVR 468,750. The payment is to be made over a five-year period, with an initial advance payment of MVR 50,000. The memorandum further states that a payment schedule would be provided with the document.

By comparison, when the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) auctioned 60 plots in Hulhumalé Phase 2 in 2022, the lowest bid was MVR 6,759 per square foot, while the highest bid reached MVR 10,220 per square foot.

The stark difference between the price cited in the memo and the prevailing market value, coupled with the absence of any public announcement regarding the sale, has prompted widespread public concern. Former PG Muizzu emphasized that the land concerned is state-owned property, stating, "There is no established procedure for the Housing Ministry to sell government’s land in this manner. Every transaction must adhere to legal frameworks. [I am] awaiting a formal statement from the Ministry."

@muththo e bimakee bandaara bimeh kamah engifaivanee. Bandaara bin housing ministry ah vikkeyne usooleh noannaane. Komme muaamalaathevves kuran vaanee gaanoonee hamathakuge mathin, Housing ministry ge bayaanuge inthizaarugai hurin. https://t.co/2X8S46uUpz

— Ahmed Muizzu (@AhmedMuizzu) September 9, 2026

Muizzu's comments came after Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthalib announced that the Ministry would issue a clarification today. The Minister said the memorandum had been issued to facilitate the processing of a payment receipt. However, he added that the circulation of inaccurate information concerning the matter was causing unnecessary distress to a civil service employee and an elderly individual who has spent 23 years seeking redress for past injustices.

Although both the current and previous administrations have allocated land in Hulhumalé Phase 2 and the ongoing Phase 3 development in an effort to accommodate the growing population of the Malé region, thousands of applicants continue to remain on waiting lists. At the same time, concerns have been raised over the absence of essential services, including water and electricity, in areas where land was allocated under the previous administration, leaving the plots uninhabitable at present.