In a move that further intensifies scrutiny over the government’s MVR 27.9 million media grant scheme, Adhadhu newspaper has formally declined the MVR 1.17 million allocated to it by the Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Information and Arts. The decision, conveyed in a letter dated 30 October 2025 to Minister Ibrahim Waheed, accuses the Ministry of running the program in a “disorganized and discriminatory” manner.
Adhadhu stated that it initially applied for the grant believing that, much like political party funding, state financial assistance for media could strengthen democracy. However, the outlet said it could not accept the funds after observing what it described as unfair practices, selective scoring, and the absence of proper evaluation mechanisms.
Citing Article 8(a)(1) of the official guidelines, Adhadhu noted that the Ministry failed to verify whether all recipient outlets had been operational in the previous fiscal year. The letter also highlighted Article 8(a)(3), which requires assessing current publishing activity, but said that outlets which seldom post updates were inexplicably given high scores and larger grants.
“Large sums have been allocated to newspapers that are not regularly updated, thereby discriminating against active outlets,” the letter stated. Adhadhu declared it would not accept the MVR 1,174,758.73 offered under such conditions and called for a transparent and equitable process that rewards genuine journalistic performance.
Meanwhile, public debate continues to build around State Minister Ali Shamaan’s role in the grant’s administration. Several media groups and commentators have pointed out that The Press, an outlet linked to Shamaan, was among the higher recipients, securing over MVR 1.34 million. Critics argue this creates a clear conflict of interest since Shamaan was directly involved in drafting the criteria and approving the final allocations. Though Adhadhu did not mention any names, the growing public concern adds further weight to its call for an independent review.
Copies of Adhadhu’s rejection letter have been sent to the Ministry of Finance and Planning, signaling the outlet’s insistence on accountability.
