Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has stated that it will decide whether to intervene in the Hulhumale’ land distribution based on the conduct of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

ACC also stated that HDC employees have filed two petitions.

One petition is regarding concern that the Hulhumale’ land distribution would inflict irrecoverable damage to HDC and the other is a claim that employees were compelled to contribute to the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s campaign activities.

On October 7, the housing ministry announced that it would be selling 400 plots of land in Hulhumale’ Phase II in an effort to alleviate budgetary issues. However, the price for the plots of land were lower than the market average.

While people waited in long queues at the ministry to file their applications, the project was later handed over to HDC.

Subsequently, a petition signed by 170 HDC employees and Chief Financial Officer Ali Shareef were filed at the ACC, the audit office, and the finance ministry. The petition states that the land distribution would inflict MVR 1.8 billion worth of damage to HDC.

ACC has stated that it is now looking into allegations that HDC had contributed to PPM’s campaign. A senior HDC employee said more than MVR 30 million from the HDC budget were spent on the ruling party and that HDC hired 150 employees during the campaign without giving them any responsibility.