Authorities have seized the passports of 20 individuals, including Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Managing Director Fazul Rasheed and his brother, Mohamed Fazeel Rasheed, the Deputy Managing Director of the Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC). This action comes amid an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in the land ownership scheme.

The government housing scheme, which distributes land, has faced misconduct allegations. Reports suggest that Fazeel was among the recipients of land under questionable circumstances. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the police are jointly investigating the matter.

Fazul has denied involvement in any wrongdoing, and the police confirmed yesterday that no charges have been filed against him. However, the case has drawn criticism for the delayed imposition of travel restrictions on suspects, particularly given the gravity of the allegations.

Addressing these concerns, the police issued a statement today confirming that the passports of 20 suspects linked to the scheme had been seized to prevent them from leaving the country during the investigation.

In a related move, all but one member of the HDC board has been suspended as part of efforts to address accountability within the corporation.