Muthalib says ministry will no longer decide long-pending housing disputes; AG’s Office to take over

The Ministry of Housing has decided it will no longer directly issue decisions on long-pending housing cases that have remained unresolved due to administrative lapses across successive governments.

Housing Minister Dr Abdulla Muthalib said that from now on, all such cases will be formally referred to the Office for Civil Rights, an independent unit operating under the Attorney General’s Office.

He said the shift was made to ensure the highest level of transparency, fairness and procedural integrity, noting that housing matters are closely tied to public rights. Going forward, the ministry will act strictly in accordance with the determinations issued by the Office for Civil Rights, he said.

ބޯހިޔާވަހިކަމާ ގުޅޭ ގޮތުން ހުރި، އެކި ސަބަބުތަކާ ހުރެ ހައްލު ނުވެ ދުވަސްވެފައިވާ މައްސަލަތަކުގައި ސީދާ މި މިނިސްޓްރީން މީގެ ފަހުން ގޮތް ކަނޑަނާޅަން ވަނީ ނިންމައިފައެވެ. ބޯހިޔާވަހިކަމާ ގުޅުން ހުރި މައްސަލަތަކަކީ އާންމު ފަރުދުންނާ ނުހަނު ބޮޑަށް ގުޅިފައިވާ ހައްސާސް ކަމަކަށް ވާތީ،…

— Abdulla Muththalib (@muththo) September 10, 2026

The change comes amid public outcry over the sale of a Hulhumale' plot for around MVR 400,000. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development said the case relates to a plot originally issued 23 years ago, on December 22, 2003, to a man named Ahmed Zahir under the government’s Sale of 56 Residential Plots scheme. According to official records, he was allocated 904 sqft, priced at MVR 339,000.

The ministry said the plot was never handed over across multiple administrations, despite repeated follow-ups. Therefore, the current government decided to resolve the grievance based on his circumstances and in line with the business terms agreed upon in 2003, the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the plot sold to Ahmed Zahir was a vacant parcel freed up after the cancellation of a Binveriyaa Scheme allocation issued to an ineligible recipient under the previous administration. The land was transferred after Zahir agreed to relinquish his rights to the Gulhifalhu plot he had received under Binveriyaa.

However, the ministry said on Wednesday that it has now referred the matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on its own initiative to determine whether any procedural irregularity occurred in the decision. The ministry said the land transfer agreement will only be signed after obtaining ACC’s opinion and legal advice.

The announcement was made after the issue gained traction on social media and was reported by several news outlets.

Land prices in the Male' region are extremely high, with plots larger than 1,000 sqft typically costing millions of rufiyaa. Meanwhile, commercial apartments and social housing flats can exceed MVR 2 million. The sale of a Hulhumale' plot at a comparatively low price has therefore triggered significant public concern.

Former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Al-Suood has also stated that compensation for undelivered land should be determined through the courts, not by administrative discretion.