The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has begun removing documents from its website related to theft and fraud cases involving the Vinares flats in Hulhumalé Phase II.

It was revealed last night that over 100 unallocated Vinares flats were sold without a public bidding process, often to politically influential individuals, with bribes involved.

Three key documents related to the Vinares flats have already been deleted from the HDC website. However, social media posts containing links to these documents remain online.

The deleted documents include:

• The revised list of applicants who expressed interest in purchasing apartments from the Vinares Project.

• An announcement for individuals who had not completed the unit selection process.

• The provisional list of applicants for apartments in the Vinares Housing Project.

These documents were previously available for download on the HDC website. Other materials on the website remain accessible.

The Vinares project comprises 10 towers, each 13 stories tall, with a total of 1,344 flats. Apart from units sold during public open-house events, flats were also allocated to 140 buyers from the Gulhifalhu project, 123 from the Sealife project, and 78 who relinquished their Hiyaa flats.

According to former and current HDC management, 123 flats remained unsold across all categories. These flats were officially opened for sale on 5 November 2023. Applications were submitted through HDC's online portal, but technical issues reportedly prevented many applicants from completing the process.

HDC subsequently suspended the sale, citing concerns to be addressed. The current management later canceled the applications in April this year, after which flats were allegedly sold covertly.

Sources familiar with the matter claim that Vinares flats were sold to politically connected individuals. Some reports allege that bribes amounting to hundreds of thousands of rufiyaa were involved in these transactions.

This week, multiple corruption and fraud cases involving HDC have come to light. These include the illegal allocation of land under the Binveriyaa scheme, the sale of land to government officials and MPs at undervalued prices, and the misappropriation of large sums of money.

Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) are currently investigating the Binveriyaa scheme. The passports of 20 individuals, including HDC Managing Director Fazul, have been seized. Those under investigation include HDC board members, Housing Ministry officials, and former government officials.