Government to appeal Alidhoo and Kudarah injunction in High Court

Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has requested the Attorney General to appealed in High Court, the injunction issued by Civil Court ordering the government to halt proceedings to take over Alif Dhaalu Kudarah and Haa Alifu Alidhoo resorts.

Alidhoo and Kudarah are operated by Yacht Tours Maldives, a company in which Kaashidhoo MP Abdullah Jabir is a shareholder, and are accused of having failed to pay over $7 million to the government.

Tourism Ministry’s Assistant Director General Hassan Zameel said today that the Ministry has asked the Attorney General to appeal the Civil Court injunction in favour of Yacht Tours Maldives, ordering Tourism Ministry to halt proceedings to take over the two resorts.

Solicitor General at the Attorney General’s Office Ahmed Usham said today that the office currently reviewing the injunction to determine if there is room for appeal.

“This review will determine if we can appeal. We will decide on the matter very soon,” Usham said.

Civil Court issued an injunction to prevent government officials from going to Alif Dhaalu Kudarah Resort and Haa Alifu Alidhoo resorts to take over the two islands following an incident where government official who went to take over Kudarah were denied from going ashore.

Tourism Ministry states that the government agreement with Yatch Tours regarding Kudarah states that the island should be handed over immediately when the team visits the island after the agreement is terminated. The agreement on Alidhoo states that the transfer should be finalized within seven days of the ministry’s visit to the island.

The government terminated the agreements with the two islands on the 28th of May. The islands had been given notice on two occasions after they failed to pay rent and fines.

An official from the Tourism Ministry said earlier that the agreements were terminated following the company’s failure comply with the notice and pay rent for the first quarter of 2013.

On the day the contract was terminated, an official from Tourism Ministry said: “When the notice was first sent, it was agreed that the rent be paid in over a 3 year term and the fine by paid in over a 10 year term. The agreement was terminated after being notified for a second time for failure to pay rent and failing to pay even then. We will go and take over the two resorts within the week.”