The Deputy Minister of Environment, Mohamed Raqib, has been dismissed following his controversial constitutional case challenging the city status of Gaafu Dhaalu Thinadhoo. The dismissal was confirmed by President’s Office Spokesperson Heena Waleed, who announced on X that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu made the decision in light of the case.

Raqib's dismissal comes after a High Court ruling last month barred him from representing clients against the state while holding a politically appointed position. This ruling followed his defense of a client in a child sexual assault case, though Raqib has continued representing clients in other legal matters.

In the constitutional case, Raqib is seeking to revoke Thinadhoo's city status, arguing that its population falls short of the required threshold of 10,000. Speaking to Mihaaru News, he alleged that the Thinadhoo council had submitted falsified population data to meet the requirement.

“From my investigation, the list includes people who passed away years ago, duplicate entries with altered ID numbers, and repeated entries with different ID cards. It is an illegal list,” Raqib claimed. He further cited a Right to Information Act request to the Department of National Registration, which indicated the actual population was closer to 7,000.

Raqib has called for an investigation into the Thinadhoo council and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, alleging forgery and submission of false information to justify granting the city status. He argued that the status should be annulled based on these findings.

Raqib, a former Chief Magistrate of the Kaafu Atoll jurisdiction, resigned in 2019 following a Judicial Service Commission recommendation for his removal. After leaving the judiciary, he joined the legal team of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).