No-show by PNC councilors foils third attempt to probe ‘inflated’ USD 9.6mn fish market contract

A Male’ City Council meeting to question the head of its legal section, Ali Naseer Qasim, regarding a new USD 9.6 million contract awarded in 2023 for the redevelopment of the capital city’s fish market had to be cancelled again due to lack of quorum on Thursday, after councilors from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), who hold a majority in the 19-seat council failed to show up for the meeting.

The original USD 6.1 million contract for the fish market project was awarded through a competitive bidding process back when President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu served as the city’s mayor. But during the transitional period between when President Muizzu won the 2023 presidential election and took office and before incumbent Mayor Adam Azim won the January 2024 by-election, the city council cancelled the original contract and awarded the project to a new party for a higher price of USD 9.6 million.

The issue gained media attention in August after Azim voiced concern during a city council meeting that the new contract lacked any paperwork showing how it got approved, was overvalued, and include terms that are highly unfavorable to the council.

The contract was signed on behalf of the city council by Naseer.

During a meeting held on August 20, Azim said that Naseer failed to explain why a new contract was formed or why the value of the contract was inflated by USD 3.5 million, despite repeatedly pressing him for answers.

Mohamed Saif Fathih, who represents the North Galolhu constituency in the city council, filed motions to include the issue in the agenda for three separate city council meetings scheduled for August 27, September 3, and again on Thursday.

All three meetings were cancelled due to lack of quorum after councilors from the ruling party, who hold a majority in the city council, failed to show up.

However, the city council had held two other meeting in between, for which the fish contract was not in the agenda.

Saif, a politician from the opposition party Democrats, alleges that senior PNC parliamentarians had contacted the party’s councilors on Wednesday night, instructing them against attending Thursday’s meeting.

Meanwhile, Azim is currently away from Male’ on an official trip.

During the transitional period when the new USD 9.6 million contract was signed, the city council had been headed by then-Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh.

In an interview to Sun on August 21, Nareesh dismissed concerns over the lack of paperwork on the new contract as “an administrative error”, suggesting that the paperwork got "lost" due to an administrative oversight rather than foul play.

Saif, who has repeatedly pressed the city council to publicize all its contracts, lodged a case with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over the fish market contract back in August.