The Dharumavantha hospital was built during former President Abdulla Yameen's administration at a much higher cost than proposed and then-Housing Minister Dr. Mohamed Muizzu abused authority to build his house, Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim alleged today.
The JP was part of Yameen's government at the outset. Muizzu, who was also the housing minister in Dr. Mohamed Waheed's administration, was handed the portfolio again after Yameen assumed office. Speaking in Noonu Magoodhoo on Thursday, Qasim accused Muizzu of abusing his powers to build his home "up to 15 storeys."
"The candidate fielded by PNC. Who was he during the previous government? What did he have in his possession when he came to government? How much? Now we're seeing him living in Male' after building a 15-storey home...it was done from kickbacks taken on the side from a project that he carried out," Qasim alleged.
Muizzu denies allegations made about his residence Maafannu Dhimyaath. Muizzu said previously that the construction was financed by a bank loan and his own savings.
Dharumavantha contracted at inflated cost
The Dharumavantha hospital project was awarded during Yameen's administration at a much higher cost than required, Qasim alleged. All major projects of the government at the time were supervised and overseen by the Housing Ministry under Muizzu, he noted.
"When that hospital was built, the quotations submitted by two companies after the tender was opened in Singapore was at [parliament's] public accounts committee. We at the parliament were not informed. The law requires parliamentary approval to do it. But without informing, it was contracted to the chosen company for USD 150 million," said Qasim, who was a member of the oversight committee in the 18th parliament.
When documents were sent to parliament about two weeks later, a company was found to have proposed building the hospital for about USD 50 million, Qasim said.
"While a USD 50 million proposal had been submitted by a company with a better track record that completed a lot more work more dynamically than the company that built the hospital, it was awarded to the party that proposed USD 150 million," Qasim alleged.
"Look, it was done by taking a loan. How could they? Where did USD 100 million go to?"
The project was carried out during Yameen's administration by Singapore's Shenhua for USD 140 million (MVR 2.1 billion), which was only the construction cost without accounting for medical equipment.
Qasim said no other candidate has served the nation as he has and that he decided to run for president in order to preserve his life's work.
Qasim previously contested in the 2008 and 2013 presidential elections, winning 15 percent and 24 percent of the vote respectively.
He did not advance to the second round on either occasion but the elections were won both times by the candidate endorsed by Qasim. In both 2008 and 2013, Qasim backed the candidate who came second against the frontrunner.
President Mohamed Nasheed and President Yameen formed governments with the JP as a coalition partner.
Ahead of the last presidential election in 2018, all opposition leaders including Qasim were either in jail or exile. Qasim's JP as well as the Adhaalath Party (AP) and Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) backed Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
