HDC MD’s brother Fazeel suspended from MWSC amid land corruption scandal

Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, the deputy managing director of Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), was suspended on Thursday, in the wake of allegations that he was given land from Hulhumale’ by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) – a corporation that his younger brother Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed heads - under the ‘Binveriya’ housing scheme despite being declared ineligible for land under the scheme.

Documents leaked on social media on Wednesday 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.

A spokesperson from the MWSC confirmed that Fazeel was suspended by the company's board on Thursday “to make way and provide full cooperation to the investigation”.

Fazeel's suspension comes shortly after the entire board of HDC, except for chairman Ahmed Nasif, were placed under suspension indefinitely, as the police conduct a criminal investigation into the allegations.

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.

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