The infrastructure ministry enlisted China's T.Y. Lin International to provide consultancy services for a proposed bridge between Addu's Hithadhoo and Hulhudhoo-Meedhoo. The agreement covers "conducting surveys, design development, and preparing the technical specifications and tender documents."
The Islamic ministry contracted Rasheed Carpentry and Construction to develop the Darul Argam Waqf Building in Malé. To be completed in 18 months, the 12-story building will feature "state-of-the-art amenities designed to serve the needs of the Islamic sector," including offices, meeting rooms, parking, a multipurpose hall and a rooftop terrace. The MVR 39 million (US$ 2.5 million) project undertaken with Islamic financing from the Bank of Maldives is expected to generate MVR 10 million annually, with 20 percent of revenue allocated to Zakat House and 80 percent to the Waqf Fund, according to the ministry, which is planning additional Waqf buildings in Malé, Hulhumalé, and several other islands.
The Prosecutor General's Office instructed police not to destroy investigation documents without consultation. The directive came after police record rules were changed to allow destruction within one year after the PG office declines to press charges. But the original documents may be needed for other prosecutions, the PG office said, noting it was preparing formal guidelines to ensure consistent preservation policies across investigative agencies, despite existing rules requiring case records to be kept for three to eight years.
Ruling party MP Hussain Riza Adam resigned as chair of the Judicial Service Commission for undisclosed reasons.
After voting in favour of breaking away from the Addu City Council in Saturday's referendum, Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo celebrated the creation of separate island councils with fireworks.
Three additional suspects arrested over the theft of 13 million cigarettes from the Hulhumalé port were revealed to be employees of the Maldives Ports Authority. The three men, Ahmed Shaheem, 42, Hussain Samih, 35, and Ahmed Firsan, 35, were remanded in custody. They were the first ports authority staff to be detained in connection with the elaborate heist of the two 40-foot containers.
Three foreigners were arrested in Hulhumalé for allegedly running a large-scale alcohol trade. Police officers on patrol stopped the suspects carrying boxes containing 232 bottles of alcohol and later recovered 49 additional bottles from one suspect's apartment. They were identified as 19-year-old Bangladeshi MD Riyas Uddin, 27-year-old Bangladeshi MD Ashraful Alam, and 24-year-old Pakistani Yasir Hameed.
Police recovered US$ 20,000 and other items stolen from an expatriate residence in Hulhumalé. The items were found hidden among trees during a patrol. The belongings have been returned to the owner, though no arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
