Court rejects Maldiviana’s lawsuit over Fushidhigga

Civil Court has rejected Maldiviana Group’s lawsuit requesting Ministry of Tourism be ordered to hand over A. Dh. Fushidhigga, which it claims has been leased to Maldiviana for tourism.

The ownership of the island of Fushidhigga is under dispute.

State was ordered by Civil Court to sign the lease contract for Fushidhigga Ahmed Khaleel from H. Hasthee in Male’ City; but Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) leased the island to two other companies in 2015 – one of the companies being Maldiviana.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)’s audit on MMPRC revealed the Fushidhigga was leased to the two other companies unlawfully.

ACC’s audit also revealed that MVR 1 million was taken from each of the two companies by MMPRC as acquisition payment.

Civil Court said that its ruling ordering State to sign the lease contract for Fushidhigga with Ahmed Khaleel was under appeal at High Court; and that Civil Court cannot accept the lawsuit filed by Maldiviana until High Court issues a decisive verdict over Khaleel’s ownership of the island.

Civil Court’s sentence was appealed with the High Court by the State.

In its ruling over Khaleel’s ownership of Fushidhgga in September, 2015, Civil Court said that the Cabinet made the decision to lease islands for tourism on September 22, 2011 as part of a Corporate Social Responsibility project.

And that Ahmed Khaleel proposed to lease Fushidhigga in accordance with the protocol complied by Department of National Planning, and was informed by the State his proposal had been accepted via a letter on December 8, 2011.

Civil Court ordered the State to honor the confirmation letter and sign the contract for Fushidhigga with Ahmed Khaleel.