The decision to dismiss just State Trading Organization (STO)’s managing director Hussain Amr Mohamed Rashad, despite the existence of top government officials from other political parties openly working against the government, shows it is personal, alleges Ungoofaaru MP Mohamed Waheed (Wadde).

Amr was dismissed from STO’s board of directors on Sunday, after he refused to back President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s re-election and aligned himself with MDP’s leader Mohamed Nasheed – who lost the party’s presidential primary - instead. Amr had been involved with Nasheed in negotiations with Jumhoory Party (JP) regarding drafting a manifesto for the upcoming presidential election.

Wadde told Sun on Sunday night that Amr was dismissed because he had prevented the government from conducting corrupt dealings.

STO's Managing Director Hussain Amr Mohamed Rashad speaks at STO's 2021 AGM in CROSSROADS Maldives on May 30, 2022. 

“Because they found it hard to carry out corruption to the level they want with Amr there,” he said.

Wadde doesn’t believe the decision had anything to do with the government’s policies.

“There’s no ‘government policy’, there’s no ‘president’s policy’. There’s only party policy. There wasn’t any MD who tried to enforce the party’s policies more than Amr. Dismissing Amr while allowing the officials in JP slots to remain shows it was personal,” he said.