Housing Development Corporation (HDC) is facing criticism after appointing Abdul Nafiu Mohamed as Director of Business Development, despite his suspension in 2023 over links to Hanbo Maldives.

Nafiu was suspended in May 2023 after it was revealed that, while working in HDC’s Real Estate Department, he was also engaged in business with Hanbo’s former minority shareholder, Hassan Mamdhooh. HDC later admitted Nafiu had even been part of the evaluation process before the K-Park Residences project was awarded to Hanbo.

An internal audit later found Hanbo did not meet the criteria to qualify as a contractor. The project itself went on to become the center of one of the country’s largest fraud cases. Police have since charged Mamdhooh — also known as Manday — and his associate Jaishan Saeed with more than 100 counts of fraud for selling the same apartments to multiple buyers.

Despite this history, HDC has reappointed Nafiu to a senior leadership role, raising serious questions about governance and why an official previously linked to the controversy is once again trusted with major business decisions.