Application for Vinares units open for victims of Sealife scam

Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has opened application for purchase of apartments under the Vinares housing project for those who made down payments to Sealife for a planned apartment complex in Hulhumale’ – which was later revealed to be a scam. 

HDC stated in an announcement on Tuesday that application is open for those who showed proof they made down payments to Sealife, and were given refunds by HDC. 

Interested parties have been instructed to register online by 15:30 hours on October 28. 

Those who register online will be sent details of the Vinares project via email. 

HDC has also instructed those who have yet to receive a refund for their down payments for the Sealife Complex to submit proof of payment via email to [email protected] and register for the Vinares project. 

SeaLife was contracted by HDC to build 3,000 housing units, the SeaLife Complex in Hulhumale’, back in 2014. 

280 tenants paid a booking fee of MVR 50,000 (some more than MVR 50,000). But the SeaLife Complex was never built and the tenants never reimbursed for their down payments. 

The cumulative total of the booking fees collected by SeaLife is estimated to be upwards of MVR 14 million. 

SeaLife Global’s managing director Ahmed Moosa Mohamed (Ammaty) stands trial on 42 charges of embezzlement in connection to the case. 

HDC expects the Vinares units to be completed in mid-2022. 

1,344 units will be built in Hulhumale' Phase II under the project. The units will have three rooms with attached toilets and a balcony. The units will be in 10 towers with 13 floors each. 

The project will have four categories of units; marina view, inner view, outer view and standard view. The standard view units are 883 square feet, while units in the remaining categories at 902 square feet.