Maldivian Ambassador to the UAE Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) and Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations Office in Geneva Dr Salma Rasheed have been dismissed from their posts.

Shareef is the son of ruling People's National Congress (PNC)'s MP for Central Maafannu Asma Rasheed. Dr Salma is Asma's younger sister. 

The government has not officially announced a reason for the dismissals. However, an audio recording of a phone call where Asma tells a man to not vote for PNC was recently leaked on social media. 

In the leaked audio, Asma asks the other person on the call to not vote for PNC candidates in last Saturday's Local Council Elections. 

Shareef and Salma were both appointed to senior positions in the administration soon after President Dr Mohamed Muizzu assumed office. 

In addition to the two, Salma's daughter Aminath Hussain Shareef is also in a senior government position, currently serving as a State Minister at the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources. 

Earlier today, Fenaka Corporation's Managing Director Mohamed Najah was also dismissed.