A press conference by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) scheduled to address recent allegations of fraudulent land allocations under the “Binveriya” housing scheme has been delayed, sparking outrage as several media outlets reported being barred from attending.
The press conference was expected to provide details on the allegations, which surfaced shortly before the event, claiming that land worth approximately MVR 450 million was allocated to ineligible individuals. Adhadhu News Editor Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, who arrived early, claimed he was denied entry, accusing Ibrahim Khaleel, Minister at the President’s Office and media coordinator for the Muizzu administration, of selectively allowing only government-aligned media to attend.
Security personnel also prevented Raajje TV from entering, fuelling concerns about media freedom and the transparency of the government’s response.
Fiyaz Moosa condemned the actions, saying, “It is clear that the government is attempting to control the narrative surrounding this scandal by excluding independent media from the press conference.”
The allegations involve around 50 individuals, including Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, Deputy Managing Director of Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) and brother of HDC Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed, who reportedly received land allocations despite not meeting eligibility criteria. Leaked documents and sources within HDC suggest fraudulent land registries were created to facilitate these allocations.
HDC and the Maldives Police Service have yet to issue official statements on the issue.