Civil Court has ruled on Thursday that Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) must pay more than MVR 1.3 million to MediaNet.
Civil Court has ruled on Thursday that Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) must pay more than MVR 1.3 million to MediaNet.
MNBC was run by the State Media 14 years ago. It was formed in 2009 under former President Mohamed Nasheed's administration. The assets and facilities of the State Media are now under the purview of Public Service Media (PSM). However, MNBC has not been dissolved as of yet.
In 2020, MediaNet filed a case against MNBC to get payments due for an agreement made in 2009 to allow MNBC's TV Channel 'YTV' to ride via MediaNet.
In the Civil Court ruling announced today in MNBC's absentia, the Court stated that receipt of court orders asking MNBC to be respond to the charges sent to the registered address of MNBC had been refused.
The ruling said that the Attorney General's Office has also notified the Court that as MNBC is a separate company, they must independently represent themselves in Court.
The ruling said that although under the 2010 Maldives Broadcasting Corporation Act, TVM, Dhivehi Raajjeyge Adu and all their resources and employees were transferred to Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC), YTV and its affiliated resources were not included in this transfer. Hence, the ruling said, it is proven that the MVR 1.3 million cited in the case must be paid to MediaNet by MNBC.
The ruling ordered the payment be settled by the 16th of May, 2024.
Initially, MediaNet filed the case against PSM, which is currently running the State Media. However, in 2018, Civil Court ruled that PSM does not have to bear responsibility for paying back this money.
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