It surfaced on Wednesday that ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) owes MVR 4.8 million to state-run Island Aviation Services (IAS), as pending payment for flights booked to carry the party's supporters to the outgoing president's major campaign rally.
Local media Mihaaru reported that, following numerous requests in vain for PPM to settle the booking fees, IAS had filed the case to the Elections Commission (EC) and the Ministry of Finance and Treasure.
In the case, IAS requested the electoral watchdog to take the MVR 4.8 million owed to the airline operator, out of the state funds allocated for PPM.
However, EC declined IAS' request, stating that the commission did not have the authority to make such a decision.
Media reports first stated that PPM owed MVR 4.8 million to IAS for flights booked and chartered by the ruling party to carry its members to the islands, to campaign and garner votes for outgoing President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s re-election.
However, local media Mihaaru later on Wednesday cited an anonymous IAS official, that PPM had booked the flights to carry the party's supporters from islands to the largest campaign rally President Yameen had held in capital Male ahead of the Presidential Election last September.
The IAS official revealed that PPM paid MVR 1 million of its pending payment to the aviation company, after the case was filed at EC.
The ruling party has promised to settle the remaining MVR 3.8 million in the coming week, according to the official.
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