Govt won't have to bear $24m Hilton dues, Siyam assures
Siyam was barred from leaving Singapore pver the $24 million his company owes to Hilton in accordance with a ruling by the country's arbitral tribunal.
Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) President Ahmed Siyam Mohamed assured on Friday that the government will not have to bear the dues his Sun Travels owes as compensation to Hilton.
Siyam returned to Maldives Friday evening after a Singaporean court revoked a travel ban on him after he agreed to pay within three months the $24 million (MVR 370.8 million) in dues to Hilton International Management under a Singapore arbitration ruling that awarded damage claims to Hilton against Sun Travels for cancelling a contract for the management of N. Irufushi resort. Upon his return, Siyam denied having ever had a travel ban issued against him.
Siyam had travelled to Singapore three days ago in response to a summons sent to him to appear before the Singaporean High Court on Monday after his company failed to pay $24 million to Hilton in accordance with a ruling by the country's arbitral tribunal.
The court had on Monday issued a committal order against Siyam over the dues, barring him from leaving Singapore.
A reliable source confirmed to Atoll Times that a subsequent hearing was held Friday morning where the court revoked its committal order after Siyam agreed to pay the dues. The court gave three months to settle the dues, it was learnt.
Arriving in Maldives on a Singapore Airlines flight at 10:10 pm, Siyam was welcomed by senior officials of MDA and Sun companies.
Asked by reporters at the airport, Siyam said said the government had not paid any money and he did not expect the government to pay it either.
"The government doesn't have to pay, shouldn't it? I'm a businessman. I'll have to resolve it, right? This isn't about the government," Siyam said.
Although reliable sources confirmed to Atoll Times that he was banned from leaving Singapore, Siyam denied it while talking to reporters at the airport.
However, leaked letters sent by the Maldivian foreign ministry and police to Singaporean authorities attesting to Siyam's "good character" have been leaked on social media.
The letter sent by the foreign ministry also cited a "committal order" issued against Siyam in connection with the ongoing case in the High Court of Singapore.
During the brief time he stopped to speak to reporters at the airport, Siyam did not answer questions about the court case. He denied the travel ban and referred questions about the case to his attorneys.
Asked by a journalist why rumours of Siyam’s detention in Singapore were spread, he said he “thinks” it was done by the new party of former President Mohammed Nasheed, The Democrats.
Sun Travels, owned by prominent businessman and Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, terminated the Irufushi deal on April 30, 2013, on the grounds that Hilton had breached the agreement. When the case of cancellation of the agreement was referred to arbitration in Singapore:
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On August 17, 2015, the arbitrator issued a final award; Sun Travels was asked to pay USD 20.9 million in fines and additional costs
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When the division dealing with major cases related to property handed over the implementation of the award to the Civil Court, the court held that there was no jurisdiction
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When the award case was referred to the Civil Court's sentencing division for the second time, it was decided that the verdict could be executed only after the High Court decides on the award
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When the High Court was appealed with, the court set aside the Civil Court's ruling and declared that the "concerned court" as defined in the Arbitration Act was the Civil Court
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When the award case came up in the civil court for the third time, the court ordered all accounts of Sun Travels be frozen
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Challenging the civil court's orders, the High Court held that since the acceptance and implementation of arbitral awards are two stages, the two stages should be allowed separately.
