Case filed with ACC over land leased without council approval during Muizzu’s mayorship
An amendment in June 2023 required council approval for leasing, but land and buildings were leased without approval until Muizzu resigned, including plots leased two days before the presidential election
President Muizzu speaking at an event
A case has been filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over the leasing of land and multiple buildings in Malé City and Villimalé to private and foreign entities without Malé City Council approval or any public announcement, actions described as conducive to corruption, during the tenure of current President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu as Mayor of Malé City.
The case was submitted Thursday by Ahmed “Maaz” Saleem, a National Congress member of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
According to the complaint, an amendment to the Council’s fundamental regulations on 14 June 2023, clearly required that no land or building be leased without council approval. Despite this, the complaint states that until Muizzu resigned from the mayoral post, land and buildings continued to be leased in violation of established principles and regulations. It further highlights that numerous plots from Malé’s Carnival area were leased just two days before the second round of the presidential election, after collecting payments of MVR 300,000 and MVR 500,000.
The complaint notes that these collections are reflected in the City Council’s published statistics but stresses that neither the purpose of the funds nor how they were used has ever been disclosed.
It also raises concerns over why 20-year leases were issued at rates far below market prices for commercial land and buildings in Malé City.
In addition to this, the complaint points out that the agreements between the lessees and Malé City Council were signed just two days before the presidential election voting day. With the election held on 30 September 2023, the complaint states that the agreements were signed on September 27 and 28.
Citing the Malé City Council’s detailed land-lease report, the complaint states that under Muizzu’s mayorship, 63 out of 157 land plots were leased. These included plots in the Carnival area, several at Artificial Beach, and tuck shop and restaurant plots at Rasfannu. It also alleges that ‘Hiththan Maizaan’, located in front of Daarul Aasar, was leased for constructing a restaurant in a manner that facilitates corruption.
The complaint adds that several hundred parking spaces on the capital’s streets were also leased, involving millions of Maldivian Rufiyaa in transactions conducted in a way that fosters corruption.
After these leases, the Attorney General ruled the practice illegal and a decision has since been made to halt further leasing of parking spaces.
Maaz has requested a full investigation into whether corruption occurred in the land-leasing process during Muizzu’s tenure as mayor, and has specifically asked ACC to urgently investigate the illegal leasing of vehicle parking spaces on the capital’s streets.
Numerous other corruption cases related to the president have previously been submitted to ACC.
