Civil Court has ordered Mohamed Nasheed, the last leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), to pay MVR 4.04 million owed by the party to former Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir.
The debt relates to services provided between 2007 and 2009 by two production companies operated by Amir, which handled videotaping, editing and equipment provision for DRP activities.
High Court had previously ruled that only the service charge should be recovered, removing additional penalties. The Supreme Court later upheld that decision.
Amir’s lawyer subsequently filed an enforcement case at the Civil Court seeking recovery of the outstanding amount. While the case was pending, the DRP was dissolved for failing to meet the legal requirements of a political party.
At the time of its dissolution, the party had accumulated substantial debt. The Elections Commission determined that the most senior official at the time of dissolution would be held responsible for settling outstanding liabilities. Nasheed was serving as party president when the DRP was dissolved.
According to the court, Nasheed did not respond to the enforcement case. In his absence, the Civil Court ruled yesterday that the MVR 4.04 million must be paid within 14 days.
Once the country’s largest political party, the DRP split in 2011 amid internal disputes and accumulated millions in debt. MTCC had also sought to hold former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom responsible for a MVR 1.1 million debt owed to the company, though that case was later withdrawn.
