Youth Ministry: Planning Ministry issued warehouse land to us

Youth Ministry has rejected Male’ City Council’s claims the warehouse located between the former Rumaalu 2 political center and the police tow yard was built on land registered to the council.

The statement by Youth Ministry comes after city council workers removed equipment from the warehouse on Friday night. Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof accused the council of breaking the locks to the warehouse and removing expensive equipment.

The council must take responsibility for equipment that go missing or are damaged, he said.

The council issued a statement on Saturday, claiming the warehouse is located in a land registered to the council.

The council said the warehouse was built illegally, and that it had made a public announcement seeking to find the owner of the equipment in the warehouse and warning to dismantle the warehouse and seize the equipment if they fail to show the lease agreement.

In a statement Sunday, the Youth Ministry said the land was issued to the Youth Ministry by the Planning Ministry for sports purposes in May 2019, and that they also had development control of the land.

Youth Ministry shared the letter from Planning Ministry to hand over the land. They also shared letters regarding multiple meetings held between the Youth Ministry and the council regarding approval for the blueprints for a Sports Center planned for the land.

Youth Ministry described the move by city council to break the locks of the warehouse and take their equipment as a criminal offense.