Employment Tribunal Rules Malé City Council Ex-Secretary General's Dismissal Unlawful

The Employment Tribunal has ruled that Wajeeh Naseer, the former Secretary General of Malé City Council, was dismissed from his post unlawfully. Naseer was removed from his position on August 15, 2024, following a no-confidence motion proposed by then-Deputy Mayor Ahmed Nareesh. The motion was approved by the ruling party-dominated council, with only two councilors opposing it. Naseer filed a wrongful dismissal case with the Employment Tribunal, which concluded that his dismissal lacked substantive fairness as required under the Employment Act. The Tribunal found that Naseer was not given the opportunity to respond to the allegations against him. He was awarded compensation of MVR 239,026, covering his salary and allowances from the date of dismissal until he secured a new job. The payment must be settled within 30 days, excluding government holidays. The case was presided over by Employment Tribunal Vice President Fathimath Maheera. The Civil Service Commission was named as the respondent in the case.