The Malé City Council has released details of the properties and other plots of land it has leased, doing so at a time when the council’s councilors representing the main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) have repeatedly boycotted meetings in response to several land-related issues scheduled for discussion. Because PNC holds a majority, their continued boycott has led to multiple meetings being cancelled.

Despite this obstruction, the City Council on Thursday gazetted the compiled lists, which include information on the places and land plots leased out by the council. According to the published data, a total of 162 flats in Malé City and Villimalé have been leased. These include units from Malé Hiyaa 1, Malé Hiyaa 2, Sinamalé 1, Sinamalé 2, Sinamalé 3, and Sinamalé 4.

The lists also show that 479 market stalls in Malé and Villingili have been rented, with 379 of them leased from the Malé/Villimalé Local Market. In addition, 157 lands and other properties in Malé and Villimalé have been rented out.

The City Council has previously faced extensive criticism for failing to disclose information related to land allocation. Some council members have said that PNC-affiliated councilors have not cooperated in past efforts to release these details.

Speaking to RaajjeMV, Malé City Mayor Adam Azim highlighted that he has consistently maintained that information on how the city’s lands are leased should be transparently available to the public.

Meanwhile, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has been accused of allocating lands to various parties outside established procedures during his tenure as Mayor of Malé City Council, with several related cases submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).