Nexbiz resumes Border Control System project

Nexbiz has resumed work on the $39 million Border Control System project, which had been halted following a High Court order.

A Mandamus Order issued by Supreme Court on 26 June had annulled the High Court order to halt the project.

Controller of Immigration Department Dr Mohamed Ali told Sun Online today that Nexbiz resumed the project last Sunday.

“They halted the project following the court order. There’s no court order anymore, is there? So they have resumed work on the project,” Dr Mohamed Ali said.

Supreme Court annulled the High Court hearings on the case because they were conducted after unlawful reconstitution of the High Court bench.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has again filed a case to Civil Court requesting for an order to halt the project.

According to Immigration Department, the second phase of the project had been completed and was ready for testing, when High Court issued the order to halt the project on 10 May.

Machinery had been installed at the airport, and Nexbiz had provided 70 laptops to the staff of Immigration Department under phase two of the project.

The issue had heated up, prompting President Waheed to transfer former Controller of Immigration and his brother-in-law Ilyas Hussain to the post of Minister of State for Defence.

Dr Mohamed Ali, who belongs to the President’s party Gaumee I’thihad, was appointed as Controller of Immigration.

The Border Control System agreement between Malaysian company Nexbiz and Immigration Department allows Nexbiz to charge $2 on every passenger arriving in and departing from Maldives for 22 years, and $15 on every issued and renewed visa.