Male’ City Councillors Call For Cancellation of Controversial Land Lease Contracts
Land lease contracts from Dr Muizzu’s mayoralty face calls for cancellation amid transparency concerns | Photo: Male City Council
Two councillors from Male’ City Council have called for the cancellation of several land lease contracts issued during the tenure of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu as Mayor, citing procedural breaches, inconsistencies in official records, and a lack of transparency.
Councillor Mariyam Nazima and I have proposed the following be placed on next week’s @MaleCitymv jalsa agenda:
1) Review all contracts; reassess all terms, conditions, and required investments linked to land plots to ensure they align with value-for-money principles + broader… pic.twitter.com/Ly4CXgTht8— Saif Fathih (@aekofathih) November 26, 2025advertisement
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The proposal was submitted to current Mayor Adam Azim by Galolhu North Councillor Mohamed Saif Fathih and Galolhu West Councillor Mariyam Nazima Mohamed Faiz. They argued that recent land lease data published by the council contained significant errors and discrepancies.
One example highlighted was the lease of land at Alimas Carnival to Vasmeeru Private Holdings Pvt Ltd. The public listing recorded the size of the plot as 1,309 square feet, while a letter issued by the council’s secretary general on 30 October specified the plot as 2,530 square feet, creating a difference of 1,221 square feet.
The councillors also raised concerns over unequal pricing and terms applied to similar plots. They noted that T&C Pvt Ltd was leased 2,026 square feet for MVR 29,260 per month with a 20-year term and an upfront payment of MVR 500,000. The following day, a plot of the same size and in the same location was leased to Salesco Pvt Ltd for MVR 10,000 per month under identical terms.
They further stated that amendments to the council’s Standing Orders on 14 June 2023 required all land handovers to be approved by majority vote at a general sitting. Despite this, they said 18 plots were leased after the amendment without being tabled before the council.
Some of these leases were reportedly linked to investment commitments or provided in exchange for services such as cleaning and sweeping. The councillors said the plots were being traded despite the services or investments not being fulfilled.
They called for a full review of all land contracts to determine compliance and fairness, public disclosure of the fulfilment of contractual obligations, cancellation of all leases issued after 14 June 2023 without council approval, and reclamation of plots where obligations remain unmet.
They have requested that the issue be included on the agenda of the council’s next general meeting.
Separately, the council has released information on flats, land plots, premises, and market stalls leased in Male’ and Vilimale’.
