Landlord sues dissolved Adeeb's MTD over unpaid office rent

The owner of a property rented by the Maldives Thirdway Democrats (MTD), the party founded by former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, has taken the matter to court after the party failed to pay rent or vacate the premises.

MTD, which was formally dissolved earlier this year for failing to maintain the minimum membership required under the Political Parties Act, had not paid rent for its office space.

According to the complaint, the landlord sought MVR 380,000 in unpaid rent up to April 2024. The claim also requested continued payment of MVR 30,000 per month until the property is vacated, along with MVR 25,920 in legal expenses.

The landlord asked the court to hear the case in the presence of MTD. However, the claim was dismissed as it had not been submitted in the required format. The court stated that the applicant retained the right to refile the case in compliance with procedure.

MTD was deregistered on 2 February after failing to reach the minimum requirement of 3,000 members. The party was launched in December 2018, shortly after the end of former President Abdulla Yameen’s administration, but did not gain significant public support.

Adeeb, who founded the party while under house arrest, was earlier convicted in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case. He was later pardoned by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih following a retrial.