Passports of four additional people including Akram Kamaluddin withheld

Passports of four additional people including former State Minister for Housing Akram Kamaluddin has been withheld.

Sun has learned from a reliable source that the passports of these four individuals have been withheld at the instruction of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over the allegations that land plots were given under the ‘Binveriya’ housing scheme to people who were not on the list of recipients.

The four individuals whose passports have been withheld area:

• Akram Kamaluddin, former state minister
• Mohamed Arif, former senior executive director
• Lirugam Waheed, former senior executive director
• Ahmed Vishan Naseem, director general

Prior to this, the passports of 20 people were withheld in connection to the case. They included Housing Development Corporation (HDC)’s Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed and his brother, Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC)’s Deputy Managing Director Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed.

Their passports were withheld indefinitely.

Documents leaked on social media appear to show that multiple people were given land from Hulhumale’ under the ‘Binveriya’ scheme despite not being on the list of recipients publicized during the former administration.

This includes HDC MD’s Fazul’s brother, Fazeel.

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.

Maldives Police Service said they have launched a criminal investigation into allegations.

Both Fazul and Fazeel as well as the entire board of HDC, except for chairman Ahmed Nasif, have been placed under indefinite suspension in connection to the case to the case yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference last night, Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Shareef said all individuals questioned in the case had said the forged documents were issued during the former administration.

In this regard, Shareef detailed that when Fazeel was questioned, he had met former State Minister for Housing Akram after he was not awarded land under the scheme.

Akram denied meeting Fazeel via a post on X on Friday. In this regard, he said he has never had any communication with Fazeel nor met him ever. Akram also said Fazeel had never requested for a meeting with him.