Two employees of Hithadhoo Port Limited (HPL) who were active in the campaign of Abdulla Sodiq (Sobe), the winner of the Hithadhoo North constituency by-election, have been dismissed from their posts.
Those terminated today are Mohamed Arif, who served the company for six years and six months, and Ahmed Shiruhan, who had been with the company for four years and seven months. Arif is also a relative of Sodiq.
Arif served as a Senior Security Officer at HPL, while Shiruhan held the position of Assistant Manager.
Speaking to Adhadhu, Arif said that he was informed of his dismissal this morning.
"I was on night duty last night. Just as I was leaving for home after finishing my shift, I received a call. I didn't go to collect the notice myself; I received it through someone else," Arif said.
When questioned about the reason for his dismissal, Arif noted that the company cited organizational reforms.
"They said it was done to reform the company and to reduce costs due to the [regional] conflict, referencing a circular from the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB)," Arif added.
Adhadhu has obtained the memos sent to the two employees informing them of their termination. The memos cite a circular issued by the PCB on April 18, 2026.
The circular instructed state-owned enterprises to reduce staff numbers by 33 percent to mitigate economic difficulties arising from the conflict involving Iran, and to prioritize education and experience when making staffing decisions.
Arif contended that their dismissals were carried out without any formal assessment.
"If the goal is to cut costs, it shouldn't just be the people involved in Sobe's campaign who are fired. Furthermore, no assessment was conducted before we were let go," Arif said.
The government has taken action against other individuals involved in Sodiq's campaign as well. Mahfooz Husnee, a key figure in the campaign, was dismissed from his position at STELCO on June 8.
Additionally, disciplinary actions were previously taken against government employees who supported former President Mohamed Nasheed during the recent MDP Chairperson election campaign.
