HDC reinstates 15 officials fired amid corruption probe

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has rehired employees who were fired earlier this week amid a criminal investigation into allegations of corruption in the award of housing from Hulhumale’, including land and apartments.

At least 15 employees were fired from the HDC on Sunday, including Abdulla Faid, the chief financial officer, and Ahmed Yameen, the chief business officer and head of media department.

While the HDC has yet to make an official statement regarding the move, a credible source confirmed to Sun on Wednesday that the employees have been rehired by the corporation.

Faid and Yameen, along with Ahmed Aiman, the deputy director of real estate, and Abdulla Shuhood, an IT consultant, had been suspended on on December 19 – 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 Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, the deputy managing director of Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), and the older brother of Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed, who was serving as the managing director of HDC.

In a press conference held on the night of December 18 – 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.

Fazeel, as well as Fazul and the entire board of HDC, except for chairperson Ahmed Nasif, and at least four top officials in the corporation’s management, were placed under suspension the next day. The authorities also imposed a travel ban on at least 24 officials, including Fazul and Fazeel.

Fazul tendered his resignation on December 21, after more documents leaked on social media suggesting multiple individuals were  issued apartments from Vinares by the HDC based on forged payment slips to SeaLife Global after it was decided to compensate victims of the SeaLife scam with the apartments.

In his resignation later, Fazul maintained his innocence but said he decided to resign to “make for the investigation” into the case.

He was replaced with former construction minister Mohamed Mauroof Jameel the next day. And on Tuesday, the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) lifted the suspension on the HDC's board.

The allegations of corruption in the award of housing are being investigated by both the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The police raided Fazul's private residence on Monday night, and seized evidence, including several electronic devices.

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