Parliament sends no-confidence motion notice to Ameen

The Parliament has delivered the notice of a no-confidence motion to Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen, following allegations linked to the ongoing investigation into the death of 21-year-old Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed.

The no-confidence motion was submitted by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Tuesday. The motion alleges that Minister Ameen interfered with the police investigation to obstruct inquiries into the incident, in which Yumna was found on the roof of a building in Malé after reportedly falling from the ninth floor of another building.

The Parliament Secretariat confirmed to Atoll Times on Friday that the notice of the motion was officially sent to Ameen.

Under parliamentary rules, a minister must be given 14 days’ notice before being questioned on the floor of Parliament. However, if the minister indicates readiness to respond earlier, the Speaker may schedule the discussion at an earlier session.

The MDP submitted the motion with the backing of 12 of its members and held a press briefing shortly after. The party raised concerns that CCTV footage from the building in question had been tampered with and that the police had not adequately pursued the matter.

Yumna had attended a gathering at a residence connected to Minister Ameen’s family on the night prior to the incident. Initially, police did not disclose the location of the gathering. Following public pressure, the police later identified the house, noting the presence of two individuals who contacted Minister Ameen’s elder nephew and other senior government officials.

Minister Ameen has denied the allegations. In his statement, he said he was not in the Maldives at the time of the party, which took place in an apartment with no direct association to him. He added that he was informed of the incident the following day and has not attempted to influence the police investigation.