ACC withdraws Gasim's lagoon sale halt directive

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday held an emergency meeting and passed a motion to withdraw its directive to halt the sale of K. Vaaveddhi lagoon, which had been leased to Jumhooree Party (JP) presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim's Villa Group. 

ACC had in early June asked the tourism ministry to halt the sale of K. Vaaveddhi Falhu, which Villa received in January as part of a compensation package mandated by the Supreme Court for previous lease terminations, after an individual filed a complaint with the ACC within the public complain window the ministry usually gives when it receives lease transfer requests. 

The corruption watchdog held an emergency meeting on Thursday and overturned its previous directive. It is learnt that the meeting was held online as most of the commissioners were abroad.

The commission also confirmed the decision to Atoll Times, but declined to provide details. 

Gasim, who declined an invitation by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to renew the existing coalition agreement and back his re-election bid, had accused the president of having influenced and halted the sale through the ACC.

JP alleges that the sale was stopped to prevent the party from raising campaign finances, as Gasim's businesses are still recovering from the impacts of Covid. 

The president, however, has denied the allegations.