Thursday, 05 August 2004
MALE, Aug 5 (HNS) -- The Attorney General’s
Office on Wednesday said that the cases of
Hudhufushi and Villingili islands have been
sent to prosecution.
Tourism Minister Hassan Sobir on Wednesday
said that the cases were decided to be
sent to the AG for prosecution because
both parties have violated the agreements
with regard to developing the two islands
as tourist resorts. But Sobir did not give
further details about the cases.
Hudhufushi in Lhaviyani atoll is an island
to be developed as a 400-bed resort. It
was leased to Abdul Raoof of M .Snow Rose
house in the year 2000 for a period of
35 years.
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Tourism the main
industry in the Maldives |
Under the agreement between Raoof and
the Maldives government signed on 9 October
2000, Raoof had to open the resort by 30
June 2002. However, as Hudhufushi has not
been opened as a resort, to date Raoof
owes the government Rf165.4 million (about
US$12.8 million) in royalty and fines,
the AG’s Office said Thursday.
The office said that between the period
1 July 2002 to 22 February 2004, Raoof
had been constantly reminded by the government
to pay up this amount. The case has now
been sent to trial in order to obtain the
money in a lump sum for the government,
the AG’s Office said.
The 500-bed Villingili in Addu atoll was
leased to Villingili Investments Pvt Ltd,
a joint venture company by the government
and Energy Travels. The island was leased
in the year 2000. The government owns 30
percent of the shares and Energy Tours
owns 70 percent of the shares.
Under the agreement with the government,
Villingili Investments owes the government
Rf25.6 million (about US$1.9 million) for
the period 7 June 2002 to 22 February 2004.
The case was sent to trial in order to
obtain the money in a lump sum for the
government, the AG’s Office said
Thursday.
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