Thinadhoo Mayor, Deputy Mayor take their suspension to court

Thinadhoo Mayor Saudh Ali and Deputy Mayor Nasrullah Ali have submitted a case to the Civil Court claiming that their suspension is against the law.

The two were suspended following an inquiry by the Local Government Authority (LGA).

Saudh told Mihaaru News that the case was submitted to court as he believes that the LGA had acted against the law and policies around inquiries.

Saudh maintains that LGA took the action based on the word of a parliament member. He said that taking politically motivated action threatens the local governance system.

He further said that the Thinadhoo Council had extended full cooperation towards the inquiry. However, the inquiry was directly targeted against him, he claims, adding that some action had been taken under a voided law.

"This makes it clear that their intentions are not right," he said.

In March, a team from LGA went to the Thinadhoo to conduct the inquiry, where they met with council members and obtained relevant documentation from the council. The LGA then granted the council a period of seven days within which to respond to the inquiry.

On June 25, LGA suspended the Mayor for three months without pay, and the Deputy Mayor for one month without pay.

LGA previously stated that the inquiry was launched following a complaint from a private individual, alleging that Thinadhoo Council has failed to meet its responsibilities, misused its powers and resources, and that its members, including the mayor, have acted in ways that breach ethical standards.