Overdue lease rent and subsequent fines for Gaafu Alif Funadhoo must be repaid: High Court

High Court has upheld the Civil Court ruling upon Ahmed Abdul Azeez of G. Aimaa to repay the overdue lease rent and subsequent fines for the island of Gaafu Alif Funadhoo, leased by the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture for agricultural purposes.

Civil Court last year ordered Ahmed Abdul Azeez to pay back MVR 1.6 million in fines for the delay in lease rent for the island.

The cabinet had then discussed the matter where upon they decided to grant a lighter method of repayment for Ahmed Abdul Azeez. Civil Court had however said that the amounts shall be repaid in a manner allowed by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).

Supporting the Civil Court order, High Court stated that a Circular by the Ministry of Finance requires that any agreement between a party that owes finances to the government and the government can only be amended after the party can assure MIRA that there are no pending payments from the party to the government.

While the cabinet decided to grant a lighter method of repayment for Ahmed Abdul Azeez, they had chosen not to heed the Circular by the Ministry of Finance.

High Court has supported the Civil Court ruling that overdue lease rent and subsequent fines of MVR 1.6 million for the island has to be repaid