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The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has asked the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to examine whether proper procedures were followed in deciding to sell a Hulhumale’ plot to Ahmed Zahir, who has reportedly sought a resolution to the matter for more than two decades.

The ministry said official records show that Zahir was allocated a 904 square foot plot under a housing scheme operated through the former Maldives Housing and Urban Development Board. The allocation dates back to December 2003, when the scheme was administered under the then Ministry of Home Affairs.

The ministry said the plot was originally agreed to be sold to Zahir for MVR 339,000. However, the transfer was not completed despite repeated requests from Zahir over the years.

Ministry refers case to ACC

The ministry said the plot later became available after an agreement involving the land was cancelled. It subsequently decided to sell the plot to Zahir under the relevant land allocation rules, taking his circumstances and the long period he had been seeking a resolution into consideration.

The ministry has now sought legal advice before proceeding with the transfer. It has also asked the ACC to determine whether the ministry acted contrary to anti corruption procedures and to provide its view before an agreement to transfer the land is signed.

The development follows an earlier post by Housing Minister Abdulla Muththalib on X, in which he defended a ministry memo linked to the case. Muththalib said the memo had only been issued to facilitate receipt of a payment and was being portrayed in a way that could harm a civil servant and an elderly man who had spent 23 years trying to correct what he described as an injustice.

The minister said at the time that the ministry would issue an official statement on the matter. The latest statement says the case will now be referred to the ACC for review before any final transfer is made.