ACC orders Gasim's Villa company to halt lagoon sale
The transaction was stopped due to an ongoing investigation into a complaint received from an individual.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has stopped the sale of a lagoon leased to Villa Group following a complaint filed with the commission.
The commission's senior communications officer Nishan Mohammed confirmed to Atoll Times on Monday that the sale of Vaaveddhi lagoon in Kaafu Atoll was stopped due to an ongoing investigation into a complaint received from an individual.
He, however, declined to provide details.
Villa, owned by resort to retail business tycoon Gasim Ibrahim, was given islands and lagoons in former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's government as compensation for previously terminated tourism leases. However, Yameen's government had in 2015 seized the islands.
Supreme Court later sided with Villa and allowed the company owned by the Maamigili MP, whose Jumhooree Party (JP) is part of the ruling coalition but is fielding Gasim as their own candidate in the September 9 presidential election, to claim compensation.
