WASHINGTON — The man at the head of a department being investigated for its construction of MGM National Harbor, where a child was injured this past summer, is leaving his position.
Haitham Hijazi will end his two-decade career in county government amid an investigation into construction flaws under his purview. Hijazi has led the Department of Permitting and Inspections since 2013, which approved work for the building of MGM National Harbor.
His department is at the center of a growing local and federal investigation into what caused the electric shock that critically injured a child at the casino in June.
The FBI is assisting the county police in its investigation into whether corners were cut to complete the $1.4 billion project and if construction flaws caused a public danger.
Investigators are also looking into the potential for public corruption in association with the project.
Scott Peterson, with Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker’s office, confirmed that Hijazi sent a retirement notice to Baker but said the investigation has nothing to do with his decision.
