Parliament today passed a bill prohibiting the issuance of bank cheques without sufficient funds, replacing the existing penalty for the offence of a jail sentence with a large fine.
The legislation submitted by minority opposition People’s Alliance (PA) MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakr was voted through with eight amendments proposed on the floor.
Several MPs however argued that levying a fine on a person who issued a bounced check was not sensible. Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Abdulla Abdul Raheem pointed out that in many cases the fine would exceed the amount of the bounced check.
