Yameen says Thinadhoo city case should target Solih

Former President Abdulla Yameen on Sunday said that any legal issue concerning the city status granted to Gdh. Thinadhoo should be directed at former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who granted the status.

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) announced on Thursday that it had accepted a case against Thinadhoo Mayor Saudh Ali over allegations that inaccurate information was shared to obtain city status for the island. A decision on whether to prosecute has not yet been made.

Thinadhoo was granted city status on 31 August 2023. The announcement was made by then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at a rally in Thinadhoo during his presidential campaign.

Speaking at a rally organised by the PNF, Yameen said there was no doubt that the people of Thinadhoo and Mayor Saudh would want the island to become a city. However, he said the mayor could not make such a decision alone.

Yameen said the decision to grant city status would have been made by the then-president, who should have verified the information before making the decision.

“If there is a problem with making Thinadhoo a city, you should sue Solih,” Yameen said, questioning why the mayor was being held responsible for a decision made by the former president.

Yameen said the case against Saudh reflected the government’s incompetence and described the allegations as political.

He also accused the government of taking action against councils and local authorities that invite him to their events.

Yameen referred to the dissolution of atoll councils after he was invited to attend an atoll assembly organised by an atoll council. He also said Saudh was now facing action after attending a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Thinadhoo’s second settlement.

Yameen said all former presidents had been invited to the consultation meeting, adding that he and former President Mohamed Nasheed attended.

He questioned the basis of the case against Saudh, saying the prosecution was based on an allegation that the state had been misled about the population of the island.

Yameen also questioned why officials were more concerned about alleged inaccuracies in population figures than financial figures, referring to calls for investigations into alleged false financial statements.

Yameen warned that taking action against Saudh could affect the government’s standing among residents of Thinadhoo.

He said Saudh was popular among residents and had served the island, adding that he expected Saudh to seek a third term as mayor.

“If you play with Saudh, I believe the whole of Thinadhoo is lost to this government,” Yameen said.