MACL MD says leaked list of paid idle staff is ‘not entirely accurate’ but admits some employees work from home

MACL Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed said on Monday that the list circulating on social media alleging that the company is paying salaries to employees who do not work is “not entirely accurate”, but acknowledged that some MACL staff work from home.

Shareef has been accused of hiring several individuals and paying them without assigning any duties. A list of 85 such employees was recently leaked on social media, prompting widespread criticism.

Speaking to reporters after attending a meeting at the President’s Office, Shareef said he had not seen the list of employees allegedly hired without work. He added that someone later showed him a list that contained “completely inaccurate information”.

Citing MACL’s involvement in land reclamation and the establishment of outdoor gyms in some islands, Shareef said the company undertakes a wide range of work beyond airport management and operations.

“There will be more staff, and now we are doing a right‑sizing process as directed by the Ministry of Finance and the PCB,” he said.

Shareef said MACL currently has more than 5,000 employees, including those working from home. However, he said it is difficult to state the exact number of staff and the specific work carried out by each employee.

“There will be programmers working from home, people who work in many other areas,” he said when repeatedly questioned by journalists.

It is noteworthy that when asked last week about the alleged recruitment of employees who do not work, President Mohamed Muizzu said such a list had not been brought to his attention. Responding to a question at Monday’s press conference, the President said he had asked for the matter to be looked into and that there were no updates yet.

“The Finance Minister has now asked the PCB to reduce the number of employees not only in MACL but in all SOEs,” the President said last week.

He added that the government has instructed all companies to carry out reforms based on performance, diligence, punctuality, attendance and other factors, referring to the Finance Ministry’s directive to the PCB to cut 33 percent of employees in government‑owned companies.

The list of 85 individuals was leaked by an anonymous X account named “Hassan Kurusee”, claiming that employees who do not work and do not even have to attend the office are being paid large sums. The list includes influential figures and some former MPs.

This is the first time MACL has publicly commented on the allegations. However, some senior employees have confirmed that such cases exist and that some individuals on the list are being paid.

MACL is among the most profitable state‑owned companies. While the company was already managing Velana International Airport, the Regional Airports Company Ltd (RACL) was dissolved in early September last year, and all airports previously operated by RACL were transferred to MACL.

Land reclamation work is typically carried out by the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), which implements several government projects. MACL has since established a private infrastructure subsidiary, Peninsula Infrastructure. The company has reclaimed land in Hulhumalé Phase III and in F. Nilandhoo in HA. Dhidhdhoo.

MACL has also begun establishing outdoor gyms in several islands. However, dredging and outdoor gym projects fall outside the company’s mandate, and MACL has faced repeated criticism and ridicule for undertaking such work.

According to data released by the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) four months ago, state‑owned companies had a combined debt of MVR 33.1 billion in the first quarter of last year. MACL holds the largest share, with MVR 13 billion in debt.