Dhiraagu boycotted amid claims of SIM cloning

Dhiraagu is being boycotted after an opposition activist claimed his SIM was cloned.

Thayyib Shaheem, formerly the news editor of the state broadcaster during Mohamed Nasheed’s presidency, has more than 32,000 Twitter followers and is known for levelling serious allegations against President Abdulla Yameen and his government.

He said Wednesday that his phone number had been disconnected and reassigned to a third party who had changed the passwords of his social media accounts using the number.

“I have not submitted any documentation or forms to disconnect or reassign my prepaid mobile number,” read a letter addressed to Dhiraagu’s CEO that was posted on Twitter.

“Therefore, I ask you to clarify which policy was followed in disconnecting my phone and who was issued my number after it was cloned.”

Thayyib lives in Sri Lanka, where he leaks information received from government sources.

Activists called for a boycott of Dhiraagu and said they had switched over to its competitor Ooredoo Maldives.

Mohamed Mirshan Hassan, Dhiraagu spokesman, told the Maldives Independent it was not company policy to reveal information regarding customer complaints and that details would be provided to the customer personally.

The Maldivian government owns 41.8 percent of Dhiraagu shares. Bahrain Telecommunication is the majority shareholder with a 52 percent stake, while the remaining shares are held by the public.