Former chairperson of Maldives Democracy Network, Noosheen Waheed has been appointed as a Secretary at the President’s Office. MDN was banned after the NGO published a controversial report which contained blasphemous content which goes against the tenets of Islam.
Noosheen was previously a Policy Consultant for Counter-Terrorism for the President’s Office.
After public criticism was aimed towards the MDN report, Noosheen had resigned as Chairperson of MDN but remained as a consultant for the President’s Office.
Under the Right to Information Act, Dhiyares News sought to find the exact capacity in which Noosheen is a consultant to the President and her salary. According to the President’s Office Noosheen received 45,161.26 Maldivian Rufiyaa as renumeration.
The salary for a Secretary for National Defense Advisory is 48,500.00 Maldivian Rufiyaa according to the President’s Office. A Secretary is equal in statues to a State Minister’s position and that the Head for National Defense Advisory is currently Noosheen according to Mabrook Azeez, Press Secretary.
There has been controversy surrounding Noosheen’s position in the President’s Office after MDN’s report was published.