Councilor Nahula denies destroying council agreement, accuses Mayor Azim of framing her

Male' City Mayor Adam Azim has accused Villimale' Constituency Councilor Nahula Ali of tearing up a council document related to a leased land agreement. Nahula, however, insists she is being framed and denies destroying the council’s official copy.  

Azim said the matter has been reported to the police and the Local Government Authority (LGA), citing video footage that allegedly shows a council member destroying an agency document. Statements from council employees have also been collected.  

Nahula told Sun on Wednesday that during former Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s tenure, nine projects were signed after bidding, but Azim gazetted only three. Among the unlisted projects was land awarded to Merry Jugo to build an outdoor gym in Villimale'.  

She alleged that after signing the agreement, the date was falsified to invalidate it. The document, signed and fingerprinted by Merry Jugo’s representatives, was dated June 1 this year and contained outdated titles, including that of current Secretary General Abdul Muhaimin Naseer. Nahula said the six‑month period stipulated in the agreement expired on December 1.  

Nahula admitted tearing a copy of the agreement but stressed that the council’s official copy remains intact. She said she photographed the documents and submitted them to the SG. She further alleged that the mayor instructed staff not to leak the back‑dated agreement on social media, claiming Azim is now trying to frame her because she exposed it during his campaign.  

At Wednesday’s council meeting, SG Muhaimin rejected claims of fraud, stating that the grace period for land agreements is counted from the date of land handover. The meeting was adjourned as tensions escalated.  

މާލެ ސިޓީ ކައުންސިލްގެ 4 ވަނަ ދައުރުގެ 223 ވަނަ ރަސްމީ އާއްމު ޖަލްސާ https://t.co/DXSoHGgCXy

— Malé City Council (@MaleCitymv) December 3, 2025

In a letter to Azim earlier this week, Nahula noted that the Villimale' land register released on November 20 did not include the Merry Jugo agreement. The issue was raised again at the council’s November 26 meeting.  

The controversy comes amid wider council debates over land allocation, with several councilors calling for contracts to be canceled due to land being leased at low or no cost, which they describe as the most pressing concern.