The Fahi Union has raised serious allegations that approximately 350 flats from the previous government's 4,000-unit Gedhoriuveriyaa housing scheme are being illicitly offered for sale by individuals claiming to be employees of the Housing Ministry.
During a press conference held on Thursday, lawyer Ali Hussain, representing the Fahi Union—an organization advocating for the timely delivery of flats to the public—stated that these 350 flats are being illegally marketed. He further alleged that two employees from the President's Office have been granted access to the Housing Ministry's portal to facilitate these transactions.
The alleged sellers are reportedly asking for MVR 250,000 per flat. Buyers are told to pay an initial MVR 100,000 to have their names added to the flat list, with the remaining MVR 150,000 due upon signing an agreement.
"This is a very serious matter. The government must investigate this through the police or intelligence services," Ali Hussain emphasized. "We want to inform this government that this is happening; we know these flats are not for sale. These flats were constructed for specific individuals under a housing scheme."
He urged the government to prevent individuals posing as Housing Ministry employees from exploiting the system.
Lawyer Ali Hussain speaks at Fahi Union press conference on July 27, 2025. (Sun Photo/Mohamed Maaniu)
Ali Hussain also claimed that the President's Office has taken control of the remaining 1,000 flats after the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC) had already signed agreements with 3,000 eligible individuals out of the total 4,000 flats.
"Therefore, we believe this government should take this matter seriously, and we call for immediate action," Ali Hussain urged.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had previously halted the allocation of flats from the 4,000-person eligibility list towards the end of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration. The current government subsequently reviewed the list and released a new version in February of this year, more than a year after taking office.
Despite growing complaints regarding the new list, Housing Minister Dr. Abdullah Muthalib stated that flats would be allocated based on the previous government's permanent list. However, the exact list currently being followed remains unclear.