A report from the Auditor General’s Office (AG Office) shows Aasandha Company Limited recorded a huge loss due to MVR 40 million disbursed to former Isdhoo MP Ali Hameed to develop a six-storey hospital during the last MDP administration.
Hameed’s company, North Construction, was contracted to develop a six-storey hospital building for MVR 61 million on December 29th, 2016, during former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom’s administration. However, the project was ordered halted due to budget constraints faced by Aasandha.
In the last MDP administration, the company was issued an additional MVR 44 million as an advance payment in addition to compensation for damages via Aasandha on January 25th, 2023.
Hameed left Jumhoory Party, the party which he was elected to the Parliament on, to join MDP, the ruling party back then, on April 3rd, 2023. He signed to MDP during a ceremony held at the Mulee’aage, where then-president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, resided.
The ceremony was attended by Solih, then-Economic Minister and current chairperson of MDP Fayyaz Ismail, then-Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer and then-senior MDP lawmakers.
This was during heightened tensions in MDP, with the party split into factions; one supporting Solih and the other backing, former president Mohamed Nasheed. Amid the rift, 12 MDP lawmakers left the party to form a new one, The Democrat. As such, Hameed became crucial for MDP in terms of parliamentary votes.
However, Hameed was among the 13 lawmakers who signed to the current ruling party, PNC, following MDP’s loss in 2023’s presidential election.
According to last year’s financial statement of Aasandha Company published by AG Office, a total of MVR 44,288,116 was issued as an advance payment back then.
The advance payment was issued following discussions with the Economic Council.
Alongside compensation and the advance payment, the company was now tasked with developing a 10-storey hospital building in Hulhumale’.
However, the project had not proceeded at all. Subsequently, the case was investigated by the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee as well.
Subsequently, Aasandha Company suffered a huge loss.
Notably, Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) has ordered the police to expedite the criminal investigation into the case.