Male’ City Mayor responds to letter instructing repayment

Mayor of Male’ City, Mohamed Shihab has responded to the letter sent by Ministry of Finance, asking he repay money allegedly skimmed from State funds when he had been Minister of Home Affairs during former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration.

Shihab spoke to “Sun” on Sunday and said that he had gotten the letter more than 24 hours after Ministry of Finance released the press statement last Thursday, naming him and six other former State officials and giving them a seven-day ultimatum to repay the money.

“I got the letter yesterday. I have sent my response to Ministry of Finance. Ministry of Finance issued a press statement naming individuals. They have not mentioned any details in their press. So I have also sent my response to them,” said Shihab.

The Mayor confirmed that he sent his response to Ministry of Finance this Sunday, but did not go into details regarding what he said in the letter; saying only that he did not know what the motive behind their instruction to pay back money was, and that had sent them a response fitting what he felt about their letter.

Ministry of Finance named seven former State officials who allegedly skimmed State funds according to audit reports.

They are:

• Former Maldivian President, Mohamed Nasheed

• Former State Minister of Islamic Affairs, Al-Sheikh Hussain Rasheed Ahmed

• Former Minister of Home Affairs, current Male’ City Mayor Mohamed Shihab

• Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Naseem

• Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed

• Former Commissioner General of Customs, Mohamed Aswaan

• Former Housing Minister, Mohamed Aslam

The Ministry did not provide any details regarding the exact amount of money each of them owed the State, but warned legal action if the money isn't repaid within the given seven-day period.