JP spokesperson ‘unlawfully leased’ island to ex-minister
15 Jun 2015, 17:09
The opposition Jumhooree Party spokesperson Ali Solih has been accused of unlawfully leasing an island to a company owned by a cabinet minister during his tenure as the minister of state for fisheries and agriculture.
The anti-corruption watchdog said Solih had leased an uninhabited island in Shaviyani Atoll to a company owned by then-minister of health Mariyam Shakeela.
The constitution bars cabinet ministers from actively engaging in a business, buying or leasing any state property or from having financial interests between the state and another party.
The charges under the 1990 Anti-Terrorism Act carry a sentence of between 10 to 15 years in prison.
The pair are abroad at present. Sobah said he is seeking political asylum.
JP leader Gasim Ibrahim has been in Bangkok since late April. The tax authority in May froze Gasim’s Villa Group’s accounts claiming the company owed the government US$90.4million in unpaid rent, fees and fines.
Gasim insists the claim is unlawful and is contesting it at the civil court.
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