Civil Court rules Villa should

The Civil Court of the Maldives has decided the case brought against the Ministry of Tourism by Villa Shipping and Trading last year following the Ministry’s order to close down all the spas being operated in the Villa resort islands.

After the initial hearing of the case, the Court ruled that the case could not be pursued in the Court any further, as the agreement between the two parties had a clause requiring both parties to sit down and talk in case of any disputes, before litigation.

The Court’s decision came on Wednesday.

Villa’s case requested the Court to declare that the Ministry’s order of closure against its spas was in violation of the agreement made between the company and the Ministry.

The decision of the Court also stated that Villa could file the case if talks over the issue between the government and the company do not produce a solution.

The order to close all spas in the resort islands operated by Villa was issued by the Ministry of Tourism during the presidency of Mohamed Nasheed, soon after Villa Chairman Qasim Ibrahim participated in a demonstration calling for closure of illegally-run massage parlors in Malé the Maldivian capital where foreign girls were used as prostitutes disguised as massage therapists. Nasheed’s government was alleged to have been tacitly encouraging such practices in Malé. After Nasheed fell from power in February 2012, the Maldives Police Services, under the new government, has closed down nearly 20 so-called massage parlors and beauty salons, busting rings of illegal prostitutes and pimps.