Ex-head of FIU claims harassment complaint was retaliation for penalizing an employee

Ismail Sajidh, who was dismissed recently from his role as head of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA)’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) says the sexual harassment complaint that led to his dismissal was manufactured as retribution for penalizing an employee for infractions.

Sajidh was dismissed from the FIU on Thursday, after an investigation by the MMA’s sexual harassment committee.

In a statement on Saturday, Sajidh claimed that the committee had made the decision after overlooking evidence proving “clear lies” by the complainant.

He said that he also raised questions over the motivation behind the complaint against him.

According to Sajidh, the complaint against him was filed after he followed standard protocol and penalized an employee for engaging in acts that she “shouldn’t have as an employee of the FIU,”

“I believe that taking action against the employee as required for engaging in several acts that she shouldn’t have as an employee of the Financial Intelligence Unit is one of the core reasons for this injustice,” he said.

Sajidh said that the complaint was filed 39 days after the alleged incident took place.

He said that there’s clear document evidence showing what happened during that time, and that the committee would have uncovered the real motivation behind the complaint if they had properly looked into the case.

Sajidh also warned that the decision sets a dangerous precedence.

“This decision by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA)’s sexual harassment committee sets precedence for employees who are unhappy with their seniors in the authority to manufacture harassment cases and cost them their jobs,” he said.

Sajidh said that media reports on the case show an employee had divulged certain details, demonstrating poor protection of confidential information or an attempt to deliberately defame him and influence the investigation.

“This could have gone smoothly if anyone who had a problem with me being the head of the Financial Intelligence Unit had told be directly to leave my job. There’s no need to slander someone,” he said.

Sajidh also alleged the decision to dismiss him was unlawful.

Sajidh was appointed as the head of FIU in August 2025, replacing Abdulla Ashraf, who was transferred out to another department, after a FIU report flagging suspicious financial transactions by Ibrahim Shujau (Shujau), the senior deputy leader of ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), leaked on social media.