Land theft scandal: Fazeel’s phone seized

As part of the ongoing investigation into the embezzlement related to the Binveriyaa Scheme, the phone of Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC)’s Deputy Managing Director Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed has been seized.

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) said that Fazeel's phone was seized on Wednesday under a court order.

Fazeel was suspended on 19 December 2024 and is currently not allowed to report to the office in connection with the scandal.

The police institution added that electronic items of all parties involved in the scandal have been seized under court orders.

However, no further details were provided.

While the case is being investigated as a criminal matter, the police said that passports of 20 individuals were seized on 20 December 2024. In addition to this, the police searched M. Zeyvaru, the residence of former Housing Development Corporation (HDC)’s Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed on 23 December 2024. As part of the raid, some electronic items were taken into police custody.

The main suspect in the case of illegally allocating plots of land in Hulhumalé is former HDC MD Fazul. However, at a press conference held in response to the surfacing of the scandal, Fazul denied the allegations. Fazul said that the involvement of his brother, MWSC Deputy Managing Director Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed in the scandal was a mere “coincidence” and that HDC had not issued any documents. He also stated that permission to build a boundary wall on the disputed plot was not granted.

Despite claiming that permission for the boundary wall was not given, the said plot already has a boundary wall built around it. It is suspected that Fazul's brother, Fazeel, built the boundary wall.

In addition to the land plot issue, Fazul has also been accused of using his position at HDC to work for personal gain by taking money from businessmen.