Thinadhoo PPM member

A speedboat belonging to an activist of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), who criticised presidential candidate of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamed Nasheed at a rally held in Gaafu Dhaalu Thinadhoo last night, has been torched.

PPM activist Mohaimin Hussain told Sun Online that his 24-foot long speedboat was set on fire at around 3:30 a.m. last night.

He said that he woke up to a sound that came from the ‘haruge’ where the boat was kept.

When he went there, the boat was on fire, he said.

He said that he will incur losses of up to MVR 350,000 due to this incident.

“I was woken up by a loud noise last night. The place where the boat was being built is about 50 to 100 feet from my house. A barrel had exploded there. That’s the sound that woke me. The wall of my brother’s house, next to the ‘haruge’, will have to be replaced. It’s a 24-foot speedboat, construction had been completed. I will suffer losses of about MVR 350,000,” he said.

He said that he had been threatened by opposition groups, and that he believes that this was a politically motivated attack.

The police were not available for a comment regarding this matter at the time of press.

Vice President of Thinadhoo Council Mohamed Zahir said that he was not informed of any fire incident in the island last night.