Ahmed Saneeh Haneef, the Councilor for the Hulhumale' Central constituency, resigned today from his position as Chair of the Male' City Council's Audit Committee.
The Male' City Council confirmed Saneeh’s resignation from to Adhadhu. However, the reason for his departure remains unknown.
Saneeh is the sole representative of the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) on the Male' City Council. During the recent allocation of committee roles, he was appointed to lead the Audit Committee and named Vice-Chair of the Finance, Budget, and Resource Mobilization Committee.
The council's decision to appoint Saneeh to these roles drew public criticism because of allegations regarding his involvement in the "Binveriya" housing plot scandal and the reported theft of equipment from a water theme park.
At the time of the housing plot irregularities, Saneeh served as the Chief Real Estate Officer at the Housing Development Corporation (HDC). He is the only individual among those dismissed by HDC in connection with the case who has not been reinstated.
Further criticism was directed at the council because the mandates of these two committees are directly linked to financial transparency—an area where the City Council has faced persistent scrutiny.
Despite receiving the largest budget of any local government body in the Maldives, the Male' City Council does not undergo regular audits. There is a lack of public record regarding the council's expenditure over the past five years.
