The Maldives graft watchdog has ruled that there was no corruption in handing over the state-owned building in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale, where Lale’ Youth International School was previously operated, to Qualitat Education to develop an international school.
The building where Lale School was formerly operated was put up for bid after the previous operator Biz Atolls Pvt Ltd’s term had ended. Qualitat’s win of the bid was followed by corruption allegations raised by Lale School students’ parents, which had prompted the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to temporarily halt the building handover as it probed the case.
However, the Ministry of Education had handed over the building to Qualitat Education, to operate the now open Gateway International School, last year November. The ACC had then declared that the handover went against their counsel to the ministry to reopen bid for the school.
According to the commission’s Vice President Muawwiz Rasheed, ACC had directed the Education Ministry to state its reasons for handing over the building to Qualitat against the commission’s counsel. The ACC had evaluated the ministry’s stated reasons and ruled that the school handover was correct.
Qualitat Education began operating Gateway International School in Hulhumale with the start of the new academic year in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s Gateway College. Over 800 students attend Gateway International School.
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