Civil Court orders to freeze Mifco bank accounts

Civil Court has ordered to freeze all bank accounts of Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (Mifco).

This order came after Mifco failed to comply with an earlier Civil Court ruling, wherein it was ordered to reinstate the job, salary and allowances of an employee who claimed he had been dismissed unlawfully.

The court has sent notifications separately to local banks Bank of Maldives (BML), State Bank of India (SBI), Habeeb Bank, Mauritius Commercial Bank, Bank of Ceylon, and Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), ordering them to freeze any accounts that have been opened by Mifco.

Mifco dismissed Asif Ahmed, Cozyge, Gaafu Alifu Vilingili, on 26 February 2008.

Civil Court ruled that he was dismissed in violation of the Employment Regulation, and ordered Mifco to reinstate him to the same position and provide him the salary and allowances from the day he was dismissed, within 30 days.

Asif’s lawyer Ali Shah said that a case was filed to Civil Court again after Mifco failed to execute this ruling, and the court has once before ordered to freeze Mifco’s bank accounts.

Shah said that Mifco ‘begged’ Asif to request the court to unfreeze its accounts – which he did.

“But this time around, we are not willing to give in. Last time we still had hope that Mifco would give him his job back, and provide the salary and allowances. But they have not done this. Mifco owes Asif about MVR 1 million as salary and allowances,” said Shah.