Committee holds closed-door meeting on petition seeking Speaker’s residence payroll details

The Parliament’s Security Services (241) Committee held a closed-door meeting on Monday, as it discussed a petition with multiple signatories seeking details regarding the number of staff at Muraidhooge, the official resident of the Speaker, as well as their salaries.

The Parliament reopened for a new session after recess on Monday. The 241 Committee convened for a meeting in the morning after the sitting.

“We have a letter sent to the Secretariat of the Parliament by multiple parties seeking details regarding the number of staff at the residence of the Speaker of the People’s Majlis, and the salaries of the staff,” said Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem, the chair of the committee.

He then asked whether the meeting should be open or closed to public.

Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, the leader of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s parliamentary group, presented a motion seeking a closed-door meeting. The motion was seconded by Maamigili MP Qasim Ibrahim.

The motion passed the vote.

Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla moved into Muraidhoo following renovation works in July. Veteran reporter Adam ‘Mundoo’ Haleem was appointed as chief of staff of the speaker’s residence on July 25. Meanwhile, former Maldivian football captain Ali ‘Dhangadey’ Ashfaq was appointed as the director-general the same month.

But the exact number of staff at Muraidhooge along with their salaries is unclear.

Muraidhoo was designated as the official residence of Speaker in 2021, following the assassination attempt on then-Speaker Mohamed Nasheed.