News Desk
Former State Minister for Environment Ahmed Ragib claimed complete vindication on Wednesday after state prosecutors formally charged Thinadhoo City Mayor Saud Ali over submitting falsified population figures to secure city status. Taking to Facebook shortly after the Prosecutor General’s Office lodged the case in the Criminal Court, Raghib called the prosecution clear confirmation that Thinadhoo’s official metrics were manipulated from the start.
Raghib originally triggered the national debate by taking legal action to challenge Thinadhoo’s city status. Following President Mohamed Muizzu’s election, Raghib joined the administration, eventually serving as Deputy Minister at the Environment Ministry. That tenure ended abruptly earlier this year when Muizzu fired him over his ongoing legal challenge against the state. His political troubles continued this week: despite clearing vetting and interview rounds for Civil Court vacancies, Raghib’s invitation to Thursday’s oath-taking ceremony was cancelled at the last minute by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Meanwhile, Mayor Saud faces serious legal jeopardy. The Prosecutor General’s Office charged him with knowingly providing a forged document and giving false information to an official agency. Prosecutors allege that on May 17, 2021, while serving as President of the Thinadhoo Council, Saud sent an official letter to the Local Government Authority (LGA) containing fraudulent population numbers—including names of deceased individuals and unverified personae—to hit the 10,000-resident threshold required under the Decentralization Act.
If convicted on both counts, Saud faces up to one year, seven months, and six days in prison on the forged document charge, alongside four months and 24 days on the second charge.
The prosecution has drawn sharp condemnation from opposition figures. Former President and MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed called on the state to drop the case immediately.
“The threat of imprisonment against elected councils will not be accepted,” Nasheed posted online.
Echoing Nasheed, Hulhumalé South MP (MDP) Dr. Ahmed Shamheed accused the government of resorting to criminal charges over election losses.
“It is crystal clear that this is a political prosecution against Saud Ali,” Shamheed said. “If Thinadhoo’s population figures were truly falsified, why did this administration proceed to hold city council elections there, and why does Thinadhoo continue to maintain its city status today?”
Thinadhoo was declared a city on August 30, 2023, under former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. While the current administration has kept the city classification intact, the criminal case against Saud threatens to unseat the council’s leadership as friction between central authorities and local councils deepens.
