Senior Official Suspended as Police Probe Deepens into Drug Party and Rooftop Fall

Malé — The government has suspended a senior aide in the President’s Office amid a widening police investigation into the suspected drug-fueled rooftop fall of a young woman — an incident that has sparked protests and raised questions about accountability among youth leaders.

The developments, announced Thursday, have intensified public scrutiny and outrage.

Daud Ahmed, the Under Secretary for Digital Strategy and head of the Youth Advisory Council, was suspended without pay following allegations of his involvement in the suspected drug party, the President’s Office confirmed.
Another official, Izdiyan Mohamed Maumoon, Under Secretary for Strategic Communications, was dismissed outright.
“The President’s Office is addressing these serious allegations with the urgency they demand,” said spokesperson Heena Waleed.

The investigation gained momentum after Wednesday night’s Gen Z-led demonstration outside the police headquarters. Commissioner Ali Shujau later held a press conference detailing the progress.

Seven individuals who attended the party in Malé around midnight last Thursday have been identified. All have given statements and had their passports seized to prevent them from leaving the country. The probe centers on a 21-year-old woman found slumped on a warehouse roof at 7:30 a.m. Friday — more than two and a half hours after her fall — and hospitalized by 8:00 a.m.
Identifying her took time due to the chaotic scene, Commissioner Shujau said.

Police have secured a court order to search residences visited that night, with Deputy Commissioner Ismail Naveen confirming that searches are underway.
“Connections to politicians will not sway this investigation,” Shujau said, adding that a separate probe may explore relationships among the attendees.

Public anger has been further inflamed by unverified posts on social media platform X, allegedly showing high-profile suspects — some from influential families — posing with what appears to be hard liquor. Leaked videos purportedly show scenes from the party. The authenticity of these materials remains unverified, but they have fueled accusations of a broader culture of drug use and impunity in the Islamic nation.