Exclusive: Locker found breached in the Housing Ministry contained Rasmale' agreement

Sep 27, 2026, 9:52 PM
The Dharubaaruge building, which houses the Ministry of Housing: Police state that no items were missing from the locker -- Photo: President's Office

The Dharubaaruge building, which houses the Ministry of Housing: Police state that no items were missing from the locker -- Photo: President's Office

Adhadhu has confirmed that the locker found breached at the Housing Ministry contained the agreement to hand over the Rasmalé project to a foreign company.

The unauthorised opening of the Housing Ministry locker was discovered last Friday. Police arrived at the Ministry’s office the same day and launched an investigation into the matter.

A source familiar with the incident, speaking to Adhadhu on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the locker found open contained a hard copy of the Rasmalé contract.

In a statement regarding the case, the police said that after receiving reports of the open locker, officers attended the scene and supervised a check by staff, which indicated that no items appeared to be missing.

Although the government has stated that Rasmalé was leased to the UAE-based company Eagle Hills for 99 years, the agreement is reportedly structured in a way that ensures the land may never return to Maldivian hands.

Under the terms, if an apartment or land plot in Rasmalé is sold or inherited before the initial 99-year lease expires, the new owner is granted a fresh 99-year lease term. This cycle can be repeated indefinitely.

"Properties here will be leased for 99 years under Maldivian law. If the rights to these properties are transferred through sale or inheritance, a new 99-year lease term will commence. This ensures that the properties remain with the buyers for many generations," stated Eagle Hills, the company that secured the Rasmalé project.

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