Thinadhoo Mayor faces corruption charges over land lease

Thinadhoo City Mayor Saud Ali has rejected allegations of corruption regarding a land award to a private cooking gas company. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has requested the Prosecutor General’s Office to charge the Mayor and three other council members for allegedly abusing their official positions.

The ACC claims the council unlawfully leased three plots totaling 2,000 square feet to a private entity without a public bidding process, which is required for non-residential land leases. The council reportedly made this decision during its 111th formal meeting in November 2023.

Mayor Saud Ali maintains that the land allocation followed regulations and was necessary to provide essential cooking gas services to residents following government inaction. He stated that the accusations are baseless and that he is not deterred by the prospect of legal prosecution.