The Prosecutor General’s Office has charged Thinadoo Mayor Saud Ali with two offences linked to the island’s designation as a city.

The charges allege that the mayor submitted a population list containing inaccurate information to the Local Government Authority (LGA), showing Thinadoo’s population as 10,150.

The prosecution alleges the list included information about deceased individuals, people registered on other islands and duplicate names. It also alleges that the mayor provided false information to police during the investigation.

The case was filed at the Criminal Court yesterday. If convicted, the mayor faces up to one year, seven months and six days in prison on one charge and four months and 24 days on the other.

Thinadoo was designated a city on 20 August 2023 during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.