Police raided the Malé office of Naid Investment, which operates the Furaveri resort in Raa atoll and the Page hardware stores, on suspicion of large-scale unlicensed money changing in the parallel market. The company's foreign currency bank accounts were frozen for the investigation. Police also seized the phones of Naid's shareholders, Adhadhu reported.
Police urged the public to report unlicensed money changers to the task force created to crack down on the foreign currency black market. Individuals can reach the task force by phone, SMS or messaging applications such as Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram, police said, assuring their identity will be protected and that they would not be expected to be involved in any part of the investigation.
A two-year-old girl died after falling from the 12th floor of a residential building in Hulhumalé. Police asked the media not to publish details of the incident, or to share photos and video footage, saying it could negatively affect children and vulnerable people and contributes to an increase in similar incidents.
The Prosecutor General's Office pressed charges of intentionally providing false information to a government office against Thinadhoo Mayor Saud Ali. He is accused of providing false information to obtain city status for the island, which had a registered population of 7,906 when former President Solih announced the city designation in August 2023, below the 10,000 threshold, before the Elections Commission later recorded the population as 10,150. Saud was accused of sending a false list of registered population to the Local Government Authority that included repeated names and the names of people registered to other islands. He is also accused of misleading police during their investigation by claiming there was no record of a population list submitted to a government office to seek city status for the island. If convicted, Saud faces a total prison sentence of two years – one year, seven months and six days for forgery and simulating a document under Section 310 of the Penal Code, and four months and 24 days for providing false statements to law enforcement under Section 521.
Former President Nasheed called on the PG to withdraw the charges against Saud, which he described as politically motivated. Threats of jail cannot be made against elected councils, the MDP chairperson said.
The motorbike accident on Saturday that claimed the life of a nine-year-old-girl occurred when the motorbike overtook a parked car and hit the car's driver as he was getting inside, police said. The collision threw the 18-year-old driver of the motorbike and the nine-year-old girl seated behind on the road. Another oncoming car is believed to have hit or driven over the child, police said. Forensic tests are underway to confirm this. All three vehicles have been towed and the license of the drivers have been suspended. The driver of the parked car was fined as he had been driving with a suspended licence.
A 62-year-old man who was involved in a separate motorbike accident in Hulhumalé on Monday had undergone surgery at Tree Top Hospital due to bleeding into his brain. He is currently being treated at the ICU, police said.
President Muizzu offered condolences to the families of the nine-year-old girl and two-year-old girl this week. He called for greater awareness of road and building safety, saying the safety of windows and balcony railings in high-rises must be improved. He also urged families and building managers to take greater precautions to protect children, particularly those with mental health and developmental disabilities. He called on state-owned enterprises, NGOs and the public to work together to conduct road and building safety awareness campaigns.
The new Land Transport Act ratified on Monday introduces stricter penalties for reckless driving, including fines of up to MVR500,000 (US$32,425) if it causes harm to others. The driving licences of offenders can also be suspended for between five and 10 years. Other actions that could result in dangerous road accidents, such as allowing a passenger to take control of a vehicle, can carry fines of up to MVR100,000. The law also introduces a new multi-vehicle ownership fee for people who own more than one vehicle.
Fishing boats must register on Fahihakatha online portal before 15 September to continue receiving fuel subsidies given to skipjack tuna fishing boats, the fisheries ministry said. It plans to issue subsidies solely through the portal.
The government is preparing to award a hectare of land in Kaafu Kaashidhoo to a foreign party to run a big agriculture project, Fisheries and Agriculture Minister Ahmed Shiyam said at a press briefing.
The government is considering a proposal from a foreign party to develop a "cat island" as a solution to concerns over the growing population of stray cats in the Malé area, Shiyam said. He said a purpose-built island with modern facilities could attract international organisations working on cat and animal welfare. Efforts are underway to expand the capacity of the Olhu Hiyaa shelter to accommodate up to 500 cats, he said.
Tourism Minister Ameen's son, Dhaanish Mohamed Ameen, resigned from STO's board of directors.
Abdulla Faiz was appointed as the new chairman of MIFCO at the end of his tenure as chairman of the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation.
