Supreme Court postpones hearing of former President Maumoon's case over DRP debt

Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of a case involving former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who is contesting liability for a debt incurred by the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

The hearing, originally scheduled for today, was delayed after the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) requested additional time to prepare. The case centers on MTCC’s claim for MVR 1.1 million owed for services rendered to DRP.

In the initial ruling, Civil Court concluded that Maumoon could not be held liable for the debt. The court stated that liability for a debt cannot be transferred to someone who was not directly involved in the original agreement unless they explicitly consent to it. Despite this ruling, MTCC appealed the case to the High Court, which allowed the case to proceed after overruling procedural objections raised by Maumoon’s legal team. This led to an appeal to the Supreme Court in April last year.

Maumoon’s defense said that he was not DRP’s leader during the period when the debt was incurred, as confirmed by Elections Commission records. Additionally, the debt was incurred before the enactment of the Political Parties Act, which complicates the applicability of current laws to the case. Maumoon’s legal team has also pointed out that MTCC did not pursue its claim during the party’s dissolution process.

DRP was dissolved by the Elections Commission after failing to maintain the membership threshold of 3,000 members. Maumoon had left DRP in 2011 due to internal conflicts, forming the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). He was later expelled from PPM in 2016 and went on to establish Maldives Reform Movement (MRM).

The case is being heard by a Supreme Court panel comprising Judge Dr Azmiralda Zahir, Judge Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, and Judge Dr Mohamed Ibrahim.