Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has filed a lawsuit of MVR 75 million against Jumhoory Party’s leader Qasim Ibrahim's company Villa Shipping.
MIRA already had previous lawsuits against five companies of Qasim, claiming a total of MVR 2.5 billion (USD 166 million). The cases are currently ongoing at the Civil Court.
The new lawsuit against Villa Shipping, of which Qasim is a shareholder, comprises of three charges: USD 3.2 million (MVR 49 million) from Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST) and fines, USD 1.2 million (MVR 18 million) from Gross Receipts Taxes (GRT) and fines, and MVR 7 million as Goods and Services Taxes (GST) and fines.
In addition to Villa Shipping, MIRA had also filed a lawsuit against a private company Bingaa Maldives for MVR 170,000 for GST and fines. The Civil Court has accepted and registered all of the cases.
Apart from MIRA’s lawsuits, Qasim has already been convicted for bribery and is facing a jail sentence of three years. He is currently in Germany seeking medical aid.
The government had earlier seized several uninhabited islands and lagoons which were leased to Qasim’s companies. The Civil Court had ruled in favor of the companies when they sued against the government. However, the High Court had later overthrown the verdict.
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