Court rules ex-MP Amir can't seek dues from defunct DRP
The DRP, which was officially registered under the Political Parties Act of 2005, was dissolved on March 15, 2023.
Civil Court ruled on Wednesday that former Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir could not pursue a case seeking MVR 4 million from Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).
The DRP, which was officially registered under the Political Parties Act of 2005, was dissolved on March 15, 2023.
The High Court had previously ruled that two studios owned by Amir should be compensated for services provided to the DRP during the 2008 presidential election. Amir later filed a case in the Civil Court to enforce the High Court’s ruling.
According to the Civil Court’s judgment, the DRP had no financial assets in any bank at the time of enforcement. The party also had no land, flats, buildings, businesses, or other properties registered under its name.
The court noted that in cases where a party is dissolved, financial liability falls on the highest authority of the party at the time of the debt. However, citing a previous Supreme Court ruling, the Civil Court determined that another party could not be held responsible during the enforcement process, leading to the dismissal of the case.
The Civil Court has issued similar rulings in multiple DRP-related cases. One such case, involving the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), has been escalated to the Supreme Court.
In the MTCC case:
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MTCC filed a claim in Civil Court, arguing that former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who was the leader of DRP at the time, should be held accountable for the party’s financial obligations.
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The Civil Court ruled that there was no legal basis to hold him liable.
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MTCC appealed to the High Court, while Gayoom sought to have the case dismissed.
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Gayoom subsequently took the case to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear it next month.
The DRP, once one of the most prominent political parties in the Maldives, saw a decline after Gayoom and his supporters left to form the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). Following the 2008 presidential election, then-party leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali joined the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). The party was later led by Mohamed Nasheed until 2021, and Abdulla Jabir was its leader at the time of its dissolution.
