Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has described the State’s case against Thinadhoo Mayor Saud Ali as politically motivated.

In a social media post today, Solih said the charges against Saud were politically coloured and filed to serve the interests of a particular group.

Solih said the case should not be allowed to disrupt the services provided by Mayor Saud to the residents of Thinadhoo.

He also criticised what he described as efforts to intimidate elected officials, weaken decentralisation and centralise power in the national government, saying such measures would set back the Maldives’ development.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said on Tuesday that two charges had been filed against Saud in connection with the case.

The charges relate to knowingly submitting a false document and providing false information to a government authority. The case was filed at the Criminal Court on Wednesday.