PG to appeal High Court ruling in Jihad case
The case revolves around a joint venture agreement for developing the Fushi Dhiggaru area into a special tourist zone.
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The Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) on Saturday announced its intention to appeal the High Court's dismissal of the case against former Vice President Abdullah Jihad in connection to the Fushi Dhiggaru case.
The decision to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court comes after the High Court ruled against proceeding with the case due to procedural issues.
The legal battle dates back to Jihad’s tenure as Finance Minister under former President Mohamed Waheed. The case revolves around a joint venture agreement for developing the Fushi Dhiggaru area into a special tourist zone.
The cabinet had initially decided on a 50% government stake in the project, but the agreement signed under Jihad’s authority reduced the government’s stake to 25%. The joint venture was formed with Prime Capital Maldives Limited, sparking allegations of misconduct.
Jihad is charged with acting in a manner detrimental to the public and state interests. Specifically, prosecutors allege that his actions deviated from the cabinet's decision, potentially causing financial losses to the state.
The initial case, filed in the Criminal Court, faced delays when Jihad, who was abroad at the time, did not respond to a summons. After granting the prosecution a 15-day window to refile the case, the court sent it back to the PG Office due to procedural shortcomings.
When the case was later brought to the High Court, it was rejected because the filing exceeded the stipulated deadline by two days. Despite the PG Office’s request for a judicial review, the High Court upheld the registrar’s decision to dismiss the case.
Speaking to Atoll Times, PG Office spokesperson and lawyer Ahmed Shafeeu confirmed that the office plans to appeal the High Court's decision in the Supreme Court.
"We will file the case back in the High Court early tomorrow," Shafeeu stated, expressing confidence in the office’s efforts to address the procedural concerns.
Jihad, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Maldives International Financial Services Authority, has maintained his innocence. The Criminal Court had previously dismissed the charges during a pre-trial motion, citing defects in the prosecution's case.
