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Upon being suspended for three months due to LGA inquiries, GDh. Thinadhoo Mayor Saud Ali has returned to office with the end of the suspension.
Saud was suspended on 25th June regarding holds on salaries and allowances. The issue was brought to the LGA. Under the Decentralization Act, councilors can only be suspended for a three month period, with his suspension having ended today.
Saud has told Mihaaru News that even though the act states that a timeframe is to be given to correct what was mentioned in the inquiry, he was not given said timeframe when he was told to take responsibility.
As per LGA at the time, they had looked into the problems they had found while monitoring the complaint that was submitted to them. This covered misuse of council powers and resources, along with mayors and other members breaking the councilor's disciplinary code.
LGA's report highlighted 19 issues, some of which were:
- Council sending back letters to offices without replying.
- Imposing a fee of MVR 5,000 when Thinadhoo residents wanted to change their residency to other islands.
- Not abiding by LGA's orders to bring a halt to the residency change fee.
- Council not providing the information requested by atoll councils and state offices.
- Not abiding by the Atoll Council's informed decisions.
- Giving allowances to the council's Bid Committee and Bid Evaluation Committee without approval from the Finance Ministry.
- Not cooperating with ACC's investigation of Thinadhoo.
- Devaluing of the decentralization system as a whole through the council's official social media account via posts.
- Not abiding by the Housing Ministry's request to halt the application process for Thinadhoo's 200 housing units without discussing it with the ministry initially.
- The allocation of the monument project (announced and finished by the council) funds to a private individual business account registered under the mayor's name.
Saud has presented a case to the Civil Court, citing that he was suspended in violation of the law. The hearings for the case are already underway.
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