Government signs agreement for construction of Greater Malé Connectivity Bridge, Ministry gazettes regulation allowing for special investigative tactics, audio recordings allegedly featuring judges who convicted former President Yameen leaked.
On 30 August, the Ministry of Home Affairs gazetted a regulation that will allow for special tactics that may be used by the police in its investigations. These include installing cameras and listening devices in the suspect's home or vehicles, under a court order.
On 30 August the Maldivian parliament approved the appointment of Ahmed Ahid Rasheed as the Information Commissioner and Ahmed Asif as a member of the Elections Commission. On 31 August, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih appointed Mariyam Shamma Ismail as the Consumer Ombudsperson.
On 28 August the government issued a regulation that will allow it to provide an island to be developed as a tourist resort, as a cross subsidy, to parties that are awarded projects of economic or public benefit significance. The said projects are to be determined under a presidential decree and gazetted annually.
Audio recordings that were allegedly of three judges on the five-judge bench that convicted former President Abdulla Yameen on money laundering charges were leaked during the week. The individuals in the audio are heard to speak about being threatened and influenced to issue the verdict against the former president. The opposition has said that it will refer the case to the police. On 30 August, the Judicial Service Commission launched an investigation into the case. The judges in question have denied that it is them in the recording and provided voice samples for analysis by the police.
On 26 August, the government signed agreement with India's Afcons Infrastructure Limited for the Greater Malé Connectivity Bridge. Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer, speaking at the ceremony, said that the Maldives' GDP will increase to over MVR10 billion with the mega-projects planned by the government, including the bridge, commercial port and airport development.
On 25 August, the Ministry of Finance announced its decision to liquidate 9 public companies: Felivaru Fisheries, Kooddoo Fisheries Maldives Limited, Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC), Works Corporation, Madivaru Holdings Private Limited, Gan Airport Company, Maldives Road Development Corporation (MRDC), Khazana Maldives and National Investment Management Company.
