One week since HDC senior officials stripped of responsibilities

It has been a week since several department heads at Housing Development Corporation (HDC) were removed from their duties, the company has confirmed.

The five employees continue to attend the office and receive their salaries but have been stripped of all responsibilities and access to their work functions.

HDC has not disclosed the reason for the move, which took effect last Tuesday.

A senior official said earlier that some staff had been isolated from their posts but had not been suspended or dismissed.

“They have not been sent home or formally suspended from their positions. They’ve simply been removed from their duties,” the official said.

Former Road Development Corporation (RDC) Managing Director Ali Zuhair was appointed as the new Managing Director at HDC on 30 July. Mohamed Asbah Ali, who filled the role of Deputy Managing Director at RDC, was appointed to the same post at HDC on Sunday last week.

The previous Managing Director, former construction minister Mauroof Jameel, stepped down on 30 July after being notified by the Privatization and Corporatization Board.

He had held the post since 22 December and had initially planned to retire on 18 August.