PNC strife, power cut and police oath

The ruling party denied strife within its 75-member parliamentary group after MDA MP Mohamed Abbas claimed a dozen lawmakers were planning to defect amid growing discontent over government policies and the lack of development projects in their constituencies. PNC MPs anonymously told Dhauru about a heated meeting where grievances were raised, including unequal treatment among MPs and difficulties in securing Aasandha health insurance coverage upon request. Some MPs were also unhappy with President Muizzu's bad-tempered responses during a recent meeting, they said, but the sources dismissed the possibility of any members switching parties. The PNC leadership denounced Abbas' "false" allegations in a series of social media posts over the weekend. The parliamentary group remains united, Speaker Abdul Raheem insisted as Majority Leader Ibrahim Falah accused the Velidhoo MP of accepting MVR 3 million (US$ 194,550) from former president Abdulla Yameen to "spread propaganda." Abbas meanwhile complained about a political director at the fisheries ministry warning him on a Facebook post about becoming "exiled and lost in the system” with a drawing of the MP inside a trash bin.

In the second major city-wide outage in three months, electricity was cut off across Malé and Hulhumalé on Saturday morning. STELCO cited a technical problem and power was restored nearly three hours later. The mayor expressed concern over disruptions to business and damage to electrical appliances. The police meanwhile claimed to have collected key information in their investigation into a six-hour blackout on June 1.

A police constable arrested over alleged vape and drug trafficking told High Court judges that he never took the police oath. While he did attend the swearing-in ceremony, the man claimed to have stayed silent when the oath was administered, fearing the consequences of swearing by God. The admission angered the presiding judge who admonished the defendant's lawyer.

Three alleged IS operatives arrested during a national security operation in March were charged with attempting to commit a terrorist attack. Other charges attempting to join a foreign war, recruitment of jihadi fighters and possession of a document indicating support for a terrorist group.

MIFCO recorded a loss of MVR 166 million in 2024 as the state-owned fisheries company's debt reached 1.8 million, according to an audit. MIFCO meanwhile announced plans to begin exporting fish directly from Addu and confirmed discussion to buy the Ensis cannery in Hulhumalé. 

Police officers who attended to a domestic violence complaint seized 242 bottles of flavoured vape liquid from a Hiya flat.  

On the 11th anniversary of his abduction, journalist Ahmed Rilwan’s family donated rice pudding to the Fiyavathi children's home. Local NGO Association for Democracy decried the failure of consecutive governments to bring perpetrators to justice, accusing the authorities of derailing justice and protecting terror suspects.

After a high-speed chase in Hulhumalé, police arrested two people in a car that drove past a checkpoint and hit a pair of officers on a motorcycle, one of whom required medical treatment.