The High Court, on Wednesday, annulled the Civil Court's 2016 order for the immediate return of Hibalhidhoo island of Baa Atoll to Business Maldives Company.
The High Courts ruling stated that the police investigation into the MVR 1.3 billion embezzlement case of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Company (MMPRC) revealed that there was no confirmation that the acquisition cost of Hibalhidhoo had been paid.
Judge Mohamed Faisal, Judge Ali Sameer and Judge Abdulla Hameed presided over the case while Judge Mohamed Faisal chaired the bench.
The government terminated Business Maldives' contract with MMPRC for Hibalhidhoo in 2016 after a stash of weapons and explosives were discovered on the island during the state investigation into the explosion aboard the presidential speedboat 'Finifenma'.
The official reason cited for the state's seizure of Hibalhidhoo was the company's failure to pay the acquisition fee of USD 3 million. In response, Business Maldives filed a lawsuit at the Civil Court, which ruled in their favour, stating that the government’s notice to terminate the company's ownership of Hibalhidhoo violated the agreement.
All three judges presiding over the case ruled that the company's failure to pay the acquisition fee, despite being in contravention of the agreement, was not a sufficient cause to seize the island back.
The Civil Court, however, decided not to enforce its order to return Hibalhidhoo to the company within a period of 30 days because the government had decided to appeal the case.
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