Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has revealed it has submitted a case against the Mayor of Male' City Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO).
The case is regarding the bridge viewing platform project, which was undertaken by the previous government when Muizzu was the minister of housing and infrastructure.
ACC has requested the PGO to prosecute Muizzu and former Minister of State for Housing and Infrastructure Ahmed Habeeb for misuse of position. Strada Private Limited and the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure entered into an agreement in 2016 to build a bridge viewing platform, food outlet, and parking area, stated ACC.
The commission stated the housing ministry later approved Strada's request to build a smoothie and juice bar in the area, which led to an expansion of the project site. ACC stated the ministry's approval to provide more land for the company violated the state's financial policy regarding the bidding process, and that the ministry had given the approval without discussing it with state institutions. The ministry had extended the lease agreement from three years to five years after Strada agreed to develop a futsal field and provide USD 129,000 to the government as part of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), added the commission.
ACC stated its investigation has uncovered that former state minister Ahmed Khabeeb has signed off on the extension of the lease agreement.
The commission also stated it had halted the housing ministry's efforts to give out USD 971,000 as compensation for the failure of the smoothie and juice bar Chatime in 2018.