The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has formally requested Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef to instruct the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate and halt funding for 206 government-awarded projects allegedly issued without a bidding process.
In a letter sent Monday, the MDP alleged that the projects, awarded to 53 private companies under the contractor finance rule on November 6, violated procurement norms and lacked transparency. The party claims that the government amended state finance regulations four times to facilitate the awarding of contracts without public announcements or competitive tendering.
According to the letter, the revised rules now allow any project endorsed by the Cabinet or its committees to be awarded through “single source procurement,” bypassing standard procedures. The MDP warned that such changes could undermine the integrity of the state’s procurement system and erode public confidence in the Maldives’ financial governance.
The government awards 206 projects to private companies on November 6, 2025. (Photo/President's Office)
“There is no transparency in the award of these projects. This has been done with the intention of secretly awarding contracts to select individuals,” the letter stated.
The party further alleged that three of the awarded companies are not listed in the official contractors’ register, in violation of construction regulations. It also highlighted discrepancies in project pricing, citing that the cost of building 50 housing units in M. Mulak is nearly equal to the cost of just 25 units in Dh. Meedhoo, despite both islands being equidistant from Male'.
The MDP claims that contractors were not required to provide performance guarantees, leaving the government unable to take action if work stalls after advance payments are issued.
The party argues that these actions constitute abuse and misuse of official status for personal or third-party gain, as defined under the Penal Code. It has announced plans to file a court case on November 9 to stop the funding of the projects.