In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court has ruled that Member of Parliament for Hithadoo North, Mohamed Sinan, has lost his seat with immediate effect.
The historic decision, delivered today, was based on Article 73(c)(1) of the Constitution, which mandates the disqualification of any parliamentarian found to have a "decreed debt"—an unsettled financial obligation enforced by a court judgment.
The case was brought before the court by petitioner Ghalib Saleem, who contended that MP Sinan and another individual had failed to repay a loan of USD 162,127 taken from the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB). Following the default, a lower court in October 2024 had issued a judgment ordering the repayment of the debt within a six-month period, an order which remained unfulfilled.
Presiding over the bench, Justice Aisha Shujune Muhammad detailed the court’s findings. The ruling emphasised that while MP Sinan argued the lower court's judgment was not final as it was delivered in absentia and that he was unaware of it, documented evidence proved he had been duly notified of the proceedings. Justice Shujune stated that the MP had neither appealed the payment order nor taken steps to quash it, allowing the decree to stand, disqualifying MP Sinan.
Her opinion received full support from the entire bench, which included Justices Ali Rasheed Hussain, Dr Mohamed Ibrahim, Hussain Shaheed, and Mohamed Saleem. The court’s decision underscores the strict application of constitutional eligibility criteria for public office holders, reinforcing the principle of financial accountability.