The Supreme Court has yet to proceed with the case involving Mohamed Sinan, the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) MP for Hithadhoo North, despite a petition alleging he failed to repay a court-ordered debt. The case appears to have stalled, with no hearings held in recent months.
According to information received by Adhadhu, a payment of MVR 1.3 million, an outstanding debt to Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB), was made on Sinan’s behalf on February 13. The cash payment was reportedly delivered to MIB’s headquarters on Medhuziyaaraiy Road by Muhuthaz Muhusin, former Criminal Justice Advisor to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and current State Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Multiple sources confirmed the transaction, and when contacted, Muhuthaz said Sinan was his legal client but declined to disclose further details about the loan or the case. Sinan, for his part, did not respond to questions about the source of the MVR 1.3 million and has not answered calls from Adhadhu.
Following the large cash deposit, MIB has formally requested Sinan’s company to clarify the origin of the funds. In such cases, banks are required to verify sources of significant transactions, which are also monitored by the Maldives Monetary Authority’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for compliance and anti-money laundering purposes.
The legal petition, filed by Ghalib Saleem, argues that Sinan should be disqualified as an MP under the Constitution, which mandates that parliamentarians must vacate their seats if they fail to repay court-validated debts.
The case stems from a joint loan of MVR 3.8 million taken from MIB. The bank filed a lawsuit on July 21, 2024, citing breach of the repayment agreement. On October 14, 2024, the Hithadhoo Magistrate Court ruled that Sinan and his co-borrowers must settle the outstanding MVR 2.5 million within six months, a deadline they allegedly missed.
If convicted, Sinan could become the first member of the 20th People’s Majlis to lose his seat due to non-repayment of debt.
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