Authorities have lifted the travel restrictions imposed on individuals implicated in the controversial allocation of land under the Binveriyaa housing scheme, including former Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed and his brother, Ibrahim Fazeel Rasheed, Deputy Managing Director of MWSC.
The pair, along with 20 others — including officials from HDC and the Ministry of Housing — had their passports seized in December 2024 after documents circulating on social media prompted an investigation into irregularities in the scheme. At the centre of the controversy was a plot of land allocated under Binveriyaa that was allegedly claimed through forged documents.
The issue surfaced in June 2024 when Fazeel Rasheed applied for permission from HDC to build a boundary wall around a Binveriyaa plot, despite not being a registered recipient or meeting the eligibility criteria. His application, submitted on 30 June, raised red flags when the land registry was forwarded to the Housing Ministry for verification. A second application for the same plot had also been submitted by Abdul Majeed Mahir, who was found to be registered in Haa Alifu Dhidhdhoo, not Malé, rendering him ineligible under the scheme’s terms.
Following public outcry and online leaks of internal documents in December, police launched an investigation. Fazul Rasheed and the entire HDC board were suspended by the government. Fazul later resigned from his post.
The Binveriyaa scheme, launched under the previous administration, was designed to provide housing plots to long-term Malé residents without land of their own. While the scheme was hailed as a landmark in housing reform, it has faced repeated allegations of procedural loopholes and political favouritism.
The lifting of the travel ban comes as the criminal investigation remains ongoing. Fazeel Rasheed is still under investigation for alleged forgery in connection with the plot application. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether charges will be filed.
