Travel bans on all Binveriya corruption suspects lifted

Authorities have lifted travel ban of all the individuals suspected of corruption in the Binveriya social housing scheme.

Local authorities issued a travel ban on former Managing Director of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed along with 23 others in the case.

Maldives Police Service, in a message to ‘Sun’ Online confirmed this travel ban lift, but added the incident was still under investigation.

Fazul came under fire after it was revealed that his elder brother, Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, who had been the Deputy Managing Director of Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) at the time was among the individuals who unscrupulously received Binveriya scheme plots though he marked as ineligible in the finalized list released in October 2024.

Fazeel had been disqualified from receiving any plots under Binveriya as he had been a recipient of a previous social housing scheme, which had been identified on the list.

Police said they grilled Fazeel regarding the matter, after which it was revealed, he had lodged formal complaints to the State Minister of the Ministry of Housing, Akram Kamaluddin during the previous administration regarding his ineligibility.

Although the former HDC Managing Director is heavily alleged with corruption, he had previously denied this, asserting his brother’s involvement had been mere coincidence.

Not long after Fazul’s suspension, he resigned from the position citing cooperation with the investigation.