Landing craft capsized due to poor MPL conditions: Nazim

The recent incident in which two people were killed after a landing craft capsized in Male' harbour occurred because of the poor condition of Maldives Ports Limited (MPL), Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim has said.

Two workers died when the craft overturned while it was being adjusted after excavators were loaded onto it from a boat. Speaking in Parliament, Nazim said parliament committees were examining MPL’s operations, calling the case “an example of how a company should not be run”. He did not specify which committee was leading the review.

“[MPL] has nothing today. No capacity to undertake the development projects needed there,” he said.

“The last tragedy happened because the quay wall did not have enough strength to hold the cargo while it was being loaded.”

He added that the excavators had been loaded directly onto the craft, which may also have contributed to the capsize.

Nazim sits on several parliament committees, including the National Security Services Committee, the Public Accounts Committee and the special Budget Review Committee.

Discussing the findings so far, he said MPL had maintained a strong financial position between 2015 and 2018, but its situation deteriorated after the company began building residential towers in Hulhumale' Phase 2 for its employees.

“The money was spent on building towers for MPL employees. The project began as contractor-financed, but at one point the contractor failed to secure financing,” he said.

He said MPL then attempted to take loans in the names of flat recipients to complete the buildings, but the government later reversed that decision.

Before these issues, Nazim said, MPL had been “a very wealthy company” and had even financed land reclamation in Thilafushi through Housing Development Corporation.