Reports first emerged on social media that an office space was rented to the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) at a high price by the Maldives Media House which is the parent company of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's MMTV channel.

Registered on March 17, 2024, the Maldives Media House has rented many floors of Maafannu Seeraazeege building. Three of those floors were rented out to NSPA.

NSPA announcements

• February 2024: Published in government gazette for an office space between 5000 to 7000 square feet
• March 2024: Published in government gazette for an office space between 2800 to 3800 square feet
• July 2024: Announcement through tender board for a 12,000 square feet office space

Maldives Media House was the only company that submitted bids for the tender opened through the Finance Ministry in July. The company proposed MVR 34.8 million for five years or MVR 580,000 per month.

Seeraazeege is about 4365 square feet. So the 12000 square feet needed for NSPA can be found on three floors. The total rent for a floor each month is MVR 193,333.

According to information gathered by Adhadhu, this is much higher than the rent for the other floors in the building. Considering the rent of the other floors, the money paid by NSPA can cover the price of a total of five floors.

Maldives Media House could not be reached for comment.

Does Muizzu have an interest in Maldives Media House?

Maldives Media House was registered with three shareholders and board directors. They are Abdulla Zahir who manages Muizzu's private residence Maafannu Dhimyath, President's Office Minister Abdulla Khaleel's stepson Ahmed Saif Khaleem and Aishath Sheereena. The company is registered at Khaleel's residence Galolhu Dhanbukokaage.

Although Saif and Sheereena were shareholders when the company was first registered, MMTV started broadcasting after removing their names from the company and transferring the company to Abdulla Zahir.

Zahir first came into the spotlight with an Adhadhu documentary about the MVR 200,000 cash handouts distributed to ruling party lawmakers on behalf of Muizzu. Zahir, accompanied by Dhuvaafaru MP Mohamed Ali, carried a black bag and a cloth bag from Dhimyath to the People's National Congress (PNC) office.

He has no media background and has never been involved in such a business, but has now launched a big-budget TV station and hired dozens of employees to promote Muizzu.

Despite the propaganda and content to promote Muizzu, President's Office Spokesperson and NSPA CEO Heena Waleed insisted that MMTV is not linked to Muizzu.

Zahir was flanked by President Office Minister Khaleel and Deputy Minister Mohamed Ikram Abdul Latheef on the night MMTV was officially inaugurated.

Khaleel said he was working at MMTV as a consultant.

First came City Media Pvt Ltd

A media company was first registered in 2021 under Muizzu's initiative. The shareholders of City Media Pvt Ltd were Maldives News Network Pvt Ltd owned by Khaleel and Ikram, and Muizzu's cousin Ahmed Ghalib.

The company, which was established during Muizzu's tenure as mayor, is registered in a house in front of Dhimyath. But the media company did not succeed.

There was also a channel on social media platforms named Muizzu TV for the presidential election in 2023. Khaleel and Ikram were in charge of the work. After coming to power, now we see MMTV.

Loss to the state

The Public Finance Regulation sets all the processes, procedures, requirements and related engagement that state institutions should adhere to when making transactions. They must ensure that public funds are spent in the most economically efficient manner in a competitive environment.

It would not be in the state’s best interest and not the most financially viable for state agencies to rent premises other than from the building owner or developer to run their offices. The transaction of the NSPA office building is testament to that.

Although the two gazetted announcements for an office building for NSPA included an experience assessment, the tender opened through the tender board did not have an experience assessment. Former Tender Board Chairman Ismail Zariyand said it was corruption.

NSPA first remained silent after the issue was flagged on social media and reported by news outlets. The agency then threatened action for spreading false news. But the matter was later filed to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). NSPA has now terminated the contract with Maldives Media House.

This article was first produced in Dhivehi by Ahmed Aaidh.