Who is Maldives minister who got suspended for ‘black magic’ on President Muizzu?

Maldives Minister Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem was fired from her job after being detained on suspicion of practicing witchcraft on Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu alongside her two brothers.

State minister Shamnaz of the Ministry of Environment was detained on June 23 along with two other suspects and placed under a seven-day remand. The Environment Ministry of the Maldives removed her from her position on Wednesday.

Shamnaz, who was formerly listed on the Environment Ministry's website as a political appointee, is no longer on the list. Rather, her name was added to the list of former political appointees, according to the sources.


Shamnaz had previously served on the Male City Council alongside President Muizzu when he was the city's mayor. Following Muizzu's election to power last year, Shamnaz resigned from the council and was appointed state minister at Muliaage, the president's official house. She was eventually reassigned to the Environment Ministry.

Shamnaz's ex-husband, Adam Rameez, a Minister in the President's Office, has also been suspended.

[With TOI inputs and agencies]