Debt order after re-structuring plan submission: Azima

The Civil Court on Tuesday ordered the mayoral candidate Aishath Azima Shukoor to pay a large proven debt after she asked the bank to restructure the debt, according to her.

Azima, who is running for mayor on behalf of the ruling party, said in a statement that it was through the media that she came to know about the civil court's verdict for failing to repay the loan she had taken from the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB).

Azima said she was repaying the loan she took out in 2016 to buy an apartment in Hulhumale when a lawsuit filed against her by the previous government prevented her from practicing law.

She is self-employed and covers her own expenses. However, she has not made enough progress to repay her loan due to lack of jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

She recently formulated a schedule for repayment of the loan and submitted it to the bank to restructure the loan. Discussions were held with the bank last month, she said.

“In this case, while this discussion is going on, I am working on submitting the verdict to the court for review and appeal with the consultation of my lawyers,” she said.

She said she had held many powerful positions in the state several times but had not taken any money from the state except her salary.

Azima, who is contesting the mayoral election, said the work will not be delayed even with Monday’s verdict.

Civil Court Judge Zulaiha Sheeza on Tuesday ruled that Azima is not paying regularly for a loan she took out from the Islamic Bank (MIB) to buy a flat in Platinum Residence. The court on Tuesday ruled in the case filed by MIB: