The Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), led by the founder of the "Sun Siyam Group" Ahmed Siyam, has said that there was no deal between the government and Sun Travels and Tours regarding the Civil Court ruling mandating the travel agency to pay USD 24 million to Hilton.
MDA's Deputy Leader and Sun Travels Director Ali Mauroof said this on Friday when asked about media reports speculating that there was a "court relief deal" behind the decision of Siyam and MDA to support President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in this year's presidential election.
On February 9, the Civil Court ruled there was no reason for them not to accept the verdict passed by Singapore's arbitration, ordering Sun Travels to pay USD 24 million to Hilton. Therefore, the civil court ordered Sun Travels to pay the unpaid amount to Hilton within 14 days.
Mauroof said they did not believe that the current government interferes with court decisions, and they would appeal the Civil Court's verdict at the High Court, which is within their legal rights to do so.
"And [we] will go to the Supreme Court too. This matter will be closed after a final judgement is made. Since we are a business, we will be trying for an out-of-court settlement," Mauroof, who is among Siyam's closest allies, said.
"This is not a hidden issue. There was no connection between this case and our reasons for supporting President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. This will go smoothly, as it should within the courts."
Aishath Rafia, a director at Sun Travels as well as one of the deputy leaders of the MDA, rhetorically questioned on Friday if they were too small a company to be unable to pay USD 24 million to Hilton. She then questioned whether the owner of Sun Travels, one of the biggest luxury resort brands in the Maldives, would be unable to pay that amount.
"This is my question to the people who doubt us. Are we [a company] at that level? We don't have to sell ourselves for 24 million. That is not the level that we are at. We have that much property," Rafia said.
According to her, various statements were made in connection with the Hilton case because people fear that "Sun Travel Siyam may rule this country."
Mauroof said that after consulting with the two delegates who came on behalf of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to discuss forming an alliance with MDP, the more "reasonable" options were decided. Therefore, if President Solih wins this year's presidential election, the MDA will receive something "reasonable," he said.
According to Mauroof, this refers to the political positions in the government that will be filled by members of their party.
The Adhaalath Party and the MDA have so far decided to go ahead with the MDP for the September 9 presidential elections. The other two parties in the current coalition, the Jumhooree Party and the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), are yet to take a decision.
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