Civil Court registrar instructed to accept case challenging Thinadhoo Mayor’s suspension

Civil Court’s Chief Judge Mariyam Waheed has instructed the Court’s registrar to review the decision against accepting the case on the Local Government Authority (LGA)’s suspension of Thinadhoo City Mayor Saud Ali and Deputy Mayor Nasrulla Ali.

LGA placed Thinadhoo Mayor Saud and Deputy Mayor Nasrulla on unpaid suspension on June 25^th after conducting an inquiry into the Thinadhoo City Council prompted by complaints lodged against the Council with the Authority.

Saud was suspended without pay for three months, while Nasrulla was suspended without pay for two months.

Civil Court rejected the case filed by Saud and Nasrulla challenging their suspension on July 25th. Following the rejection, both of them appealed the Registrar’s decision. Chief Judge Mariyam has since directed the Registrar to review the decision, stating that the claim should be accepted and registered as a case once all required procedures have been properly completed.

Since their suspension, Saud has maintained they were suspended for political reasons, citing he has received proof backing the allegation. In this regard, while speaking with Sun earlier, he has alleged that ruling PNC’s North Thinadhoo MP had been submitting complaints to LGA seeking his suspension, as well as Nasrulla’s.

“We do not care even if two lakh cases are submitted against us. While the Local Government Authority (LGA) is the entity tasked with overseeing councils, it is their legal responsibility to investigate them. If they are to investigate them, [the investigation] should be fair and free from political influence,” he said.

Saud alleged that LGA took action against himself and Nasrulla without completing proper due process to attain political goals ahead of next year’s local council elections.

Saud also alleged that most complaints which LGA investigated lacked proper grounds.

LGA said Thinadhoo Council has been rendered incapable of fulfilling its responsibilities. According to the authority, numerous complaints have been received by various government authorities over abuse of the council’s authority and resources among other unsanctioned acts by the mayor and council members.

LGA’s inquiry is based on a total of 19 issues – a combination of complaints that have been submitted to LGA itself and other government authorities.

Some of these issues include:

• Failure to respond to letters sent to the Council
• Charging MVR 5,000 fee from residents who migrate to other islands in violation of LGA’s instruction against charging this fee
• Failure to provide information requested by atoll council and other state institutions
• Disbursing allowance to bid committee and bid evaluation committee without Finance Ministry’s approval
• Failure to cooperate with Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for an investigation
• Sharing posts on Council’s official social media handles that defame the Council and the decentralization system
• Failure to comply when Housing Ministry instructed to stop after announcing applications for 200 housing units in Thinadhoo without liaising with the Ministry
• Failure to meet with residents wishing to raise concerns about not having access to well water at flats issued in Thinadhoo
• Taking salaries equivalent of a mayor and city council members before Thinadhoo was granted city status and the city council was formed