PG orders expedited investigation into MVR 44 million given to Ali Hameed's company

The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has ordered Police to expedite the investigation into the issuing of MVR 44 million to former MP Ali Hameed's North Coast Construction (NCC) company for a project which was awarded to the company.

The NCC was awarded the contract in September 2016 to construct a six-storey building for Aasandha. It was a MVR 61 million project. It was estimated at the time that the project would generate MVR 18.3 million at a profit margin of three percent for NCC.

The project, which was scheduled to be completed within one year and three months, was ordered by Aasandha to be postponed in 2017 due to budget constraints. However, with resources specifically allocated for the project, it was said that the company suffered losses and a settlement agreement was entered with the former MDP government. As a compensation, the company was awarded another 10 storey building project which was being developed by Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

As an advance for the project, a total of MVR 44 million was issued in two installments last year for the project. As the case is also under investigation by the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, it has since been lodged with Maldives Police Service by the committee as well.

The prosecutor's office said today that the case is of high public and state interest and that police have been ordered to pay special attention to the case and form a special investigation team to treat it as an urgent case.

PG Office said it has also ordered an investigation into any other agreements signed with the parties involved in the case.

The NCC, Aasandha and HDC were summoned to the Public Accounts Committee over the issue as well.

At the time, Ali Hameed told the committee that the land required for the project was handed over to the company 16th October last year, and that the power of attorney was received in November. He also said that the project's work was delayed over issues with the land and water there.

HDCs former Managing Director Ibrahim Fazul Rasheed also said that the problems mentioned by Ali Hameed occurred and that it caused delays.

Ali Hameed, who was elected to parliament on a Jumhooree Party ticket, joined the MDP last year. However, in December last year, he signed to the current ruling party PNC when some MDP MPs switched over.