Sealife Global scam: cases of 182 victims to be filed at Civil Court next week

Cases of 182 victims of Sealife Global’s alleged housing scam are to be filed at the Civil Court next week.

Sealife Global, tasked with developing 3,000 housing units, is accused of scamming a number of people, after taking the initial payment for the apartments allocated within the first phase.

Former state counsel at the Attorney General’s Office, Mariyam Shunana, who filed their cases at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) back in October, said that the delay in filing the cases at Civil Court “is to thoroughly investigate the new evidence” obtained against the company.

While reports indicate that around 300 individuals had booked to purchase properties from the apartments allocated within the first phase, with an initial payment of MVR 50,000, they are seeking a refund. The payment was made under the condition that it ‘would be refundable at any time’.

Lawyer Fathimath Badhoora filed cases of two individuals at the Civil Court in October, adding that they are looking to file 20 more.

The five-year project between the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and Sealife Global was announced back in 2014; it is a joint venture between the company and two Dubai firms.

While Sealife Global was tasked with developing 3,000 housing units and offices, they had announced several dates on when the it will be completed. However, most of the project remains incomplete.

Sealife Global’s Managing Director Ahmed Moosa Mohamed had, back in September, claimed that only 180 individuals had made the initial payment.

Noting that they had already refunded most of them, he said that remaining were only 87 individuals.