Maldives' graft watchdog on Monday confirmed that it had re-opened its probe into the lease of a prominent plot in the capital Male.
The government had leased the land plot of former Nasandhura and an adjacent plot for fifty years to a company of which president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s brother-in-law Mohamed Manik is a shareholder.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in its report into the deal had found that former vice president Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor had abused his powers as the tourism minister to negotiate the deal for which the state had missed out on MVR74 million in fees to extend the lease.
In a letter sent by the finance minister on March 28, Adheeb was asked to pay the figure to the government within seven days of receiving the letter.
The letter detailed that the former Nasandhura Palace Hotel plot lease with Galaxy Enterprises in 2010 had not been extended. Adheeb as the then tourism minister had negotiated a deal between the state tourism promotion company and NPH Investment Pvt Ltd which had held the lease holding rights for another 50 years exempting the fee owed to the government.
However, the finance ministry on Monday had annulled the notice saying that the ACC was reviewing the case.
ACC vice president Muavviz Rasheed said the Nasandhura Palace Hotel lease came into light during an investigation of another case. Several new factors had come to light after the ACC sent its recommendations to the finance ministry, Muavviz said.
"We're reviewing it again because we need to assess the entire deal," he added.
A prominent Chinese firm is developing a city hotel and serviced apartments in the plot.
Adheeb is serving 33 years in prison over two counts of terrorism and corruption including the blast aboard the presidential speedboat which has been now confirmed as a plot to assassinate president Yameen.
