PG Abbas orders criminal probe into ‘Binveriya’ and ‘Gedhoruveriya’ schemes, demands weekly updates

Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef on Thursday ordered the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to conduct a comprehensive criminal investigation into the application, selection and issuance of land plots and flats under two social housing schemes launched during the previous administration – the ‘Binveriya’ scheme and the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme.

The decision comes a day after documents leaked on social media appeared to show that multiple people were given land from Hulhumale’ under the ‘Binveriya’ scheme despite not being on the list of recipients released in 2023 during the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration.

This includes the Housing Development Corporation (HDC)’s managing director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed’s elder brother Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, the deputy managing director of Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC).

Fazeel, as well as the entire board of HDC, except for chairman Ahmed Nasif, have been placed under suspension indefinitely, as the police conduct a criminal investigation into the allegations.

In a statement just after noon on Thursday, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) said that Abbas was aware of the concerns regarding possible irregularities in the award of housing under the two schemes, and “believes that it requires a comprehensive criminal investigation given the high level of public interest in this.”

The PGO said that Abbas therefore used the powers vested in him under Article 223 (f) of the Constitution “to order the Maldives Police Service and the Anti-Corruption Commission to conduct an investigation into the application process for the ‘Binveriya’ and ‘Gedhoruveriya’ schemes, and the selection and award of land and flats, investigate anyone suspected of criminality, and forward it to this office for prosecution.”

Abbas also instructed the investigative agencies to provide weekly updates on the investigations and to conduct a speedy investigation.

Documents shared with Sun by a credible source include a letter sent by HDC to the Housing Ministry dated July 24, seeking to clarify the owner of Hulhumale’ lot number 20768 – after the corporation received applications from two different individuals – one of them Fazeel - who claimed to have received the plot under the ‘Binveriya’ scheme and asked for permission to build boundary walls around the property.

In response to the letter as well as other similar inquiries, the Housing Ministry wrote back on August 15 that the ‘Binveriya’ database does not show the individuals mentioned in HDC’s letters to have submitted applications under the scheme.

The Housing Ministry also said that Hulhumale’ lot number 20768 as well as another lot – 20821 – had not been awarded by the ministry to anyone. These two plots are claimed by a total of six people.

The final list of recipients of the ‘Binveriya’ scheme publicized in August 2023 lists Fazeel as an applicant, but also shows he was deemed ineligible as he had already been awarded housing under a different social housing scheme.

However, the leaked documents show Fazeel has a land registry for the plot, signed by Housing Ministry’s director general Ahmed Vishan Naseem and dated September 11, 2023.

In a press conference held on Thursday night – as angry protestors surrounded the HDC headquarters in Hulhumale’ – Fazul denied the allegations against HDC, insisting that the corporation has no involvement in issuing plots under the ‘Binveriya’ scheme.

He also played off the implication of his brother as a mere “coincidence”, and insisted that the situation does not pose a conflict of interest.

The allegations against HDC are now the subject of a criminal investigation by the police. Investigators were seen raiding the corporation’s headquarters on Thursday evening – within hours after the corruption allegations hit mainstream media.

9,003 plots of land were awarded under phase one of the ‘Binveriya’ housing scheme, from land reclaimed or being reclaimed from Hulhumale’, Gulhifalhu and Giraavarufalhi.

Meanwhile, over 15,000 people were guaranteed flats under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme. The MDP administration had released a list of the recipients of the first 4,000 units under the scheme in 2023 – but the handover of the flats was halted by the ACC following allegations of corruption in the selection process, before finally giving the Housing Ministry the go-ahead to proceed in February.

The Housing Ministry has been reviewing the list in the ten months since.

The corruption scandal comes amid mounting public frustration over the delay in handover of flats and land awarded under the two housing schemes.