Former MWSC DMD Fazeel and 11 Others Charged in Hulhumalé Land Forgery Case

Twelve individuals, including former Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) Deputy Managing Director Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, have been charged with producing and submitting forged documents claiming land allocations under the government’s Binveriya (landowner) scheme in Hulhumalé.

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) said the accused face charges under the Penal Code for creating, submitting, or knowingly using fraudulent land agreements and registry entries to obtain approvals from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

Among those charged are Ahmed Atheeq Abdullah of G. Poolbahaaruge and Ahmed Mazin of Daizy, Noonu Velidhoo, accused under Article 310(a) of the Penal Code for creating false registries and agreements purporting to establish land rights. Arshad Ali of M. Falhumathi was charged under Section 310(h) and Section 30 for participating in producing invalid documents alongside Mazin. The remaining nine were charged with knowingly submitting or providing forged documents.

Authorities said the documents falsely claimed the accused had lawfully acquired land under the Binveriya scheme.

The case initially involved allegations against Fazeel’s brother, former HDC Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed, and the corporation’s former IT Head Abdulla Shuhood for deleting HDC server documents. However, the PGO has decided not to file criminal charges against them.

The Anti-Corruption Commission continues to investigate the Binveriya scheme separately. The PGO said decisions on potential prosecutions from that inquiry will be made once the investigation is complete.