Male’ City Mayor Adam Azim has stated that he has never used his position to award contracts to any relatives, adding that all council contracts have been audited and forwarded to the relevant authorities wherever issues were identified.
Azim made the remarks on Tuesday evening at a campaign rally held at the Bondibaiy Park area in Maafannu, as part of his campaign for the MDP mayoral primary.
Addressing supporters, Azim said he has nothing to hide.
“There is no contract given to a relative of mine. There is no contract given to a relative of mine,” he repeated.
He said all contracts issued by the council have undergone audits, and any discrepancies have been submitted to the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Azim, who previously headed the State Trading Organization (STO), Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) and Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), reiterated that he left each organisation in better condition than when he took over.
Male' City Mayor Adam Azim at a Male' City Council meeting: The Council has abolished the ‘Bid Evaluation Committee’, citing law doesn’t allow it. (Photo/Male' City Council)
“If we look at STO, I built pharmacies across the country. If we look at MWSC, I was there to solve the pollution on the streets of Male’. MTCC was a company with a profit of MVR 200 million when I arrived, but it became a place capable of handling 50 projects and carrying out more than 120 at once,” he said.
He also highlighted work completed during his two years as mayor, including resolving sewage issues in mosque toilets.
Azim said the government had spent MVR 110 billion in the past two years, while the council had achieved significant progress with just MVR 400 million. As an example, he noted the completion of the new cemetery mosque.
“We had the new cemetery mosque closed for a year. If a citizen of Male’ died, they had to travel to Hulhumale'. I completed it within six to eight months with a small budget,” he said.
Azim said that if the MDP secures a majority in the Male’ City Council and elects him as mayor again, he will deliver development “the people have not seen before.”