A series of leaked chatlogs on social media say the fire in Velaanaage was arson, engineered to destroy documentation that showed millions owed to various corporations from the state.

The pictures show the conversation was allegedly from a Viber group formed for the Members of the Parliamentary Group of ruling Yameen faction of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM). The conversation was allegedly between Deputy Leader and Inguaraidhoo Constituency MP Ibrahim Falaah and PPM Secretary General and Nilandhoo Constituency MP Dr. Abdullah Khaleel.

The individual, professing to be MP Falaah, claimed the fire was engineered by those who owed millions to various companies, adding they were well versed in creating such scenarios.

In response, the individual claiming to be Dr. Khaleel, said there were some MPs who were deliberately making this into a show of power. Such individuals, he said, had attempted to besmirch the good name and loyalty of those MPs, in a bid to cover their own crimes and transgressions.  

When questioned by RaajjeMV over the authenticity of the chatlogs, MP Falaah had denied the statements and said the chatlogs were trumped up ones. He added these groups were fake one and that he had not spoken to the PG about the fire in Velaanaage.

According to an official with Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), the fire started at the waiting area on the eighth floor, where the Education Ministry is located. While the cause of the fire is yet to be revealed, the fire is said to have broken out inside a paper box containing discarded papers.

A spokesperson of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) said that the incident was reported at 10:28 pm on Wednesday and that a Fire and Rescue team was immediately dispatched to the scene.

Following the incident, MNDF officers helped evacuate the building, and the fire was extinguished soon afterwards.