The Criminal Court of the Maldives has dismissed perjury charges against Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, former Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and current Mayor of Male' City, in the trial related to the compensation case of Noomadi Resorts and Residences Private Limited.
During the hearing, the judge stated that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the prosecution ensured the submitted statement was the one provided by Muizzu during the arbitration of the Noomadi case. The judge also said the authenticity of Muizzu's signature on the statement was not proven.
The main contention, in this case, was the statement given by Muizzu during the arbitration process. After careful consideration, the judge concluded that the charges against Muizzu were not proven beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted Muizzu could have faced a sentence of four months and 24 days in prison.
The investigation into Muizzu's involvement focuses on the losses incurred by the state in compensating Noomadi after the previous administration terminated the agreement for the development of 1,100 housing units.
Following the termination of the agreement, Noomadi filed a case with an international arbitration court to seek compensation from the state. Eventually, the government reached a settlement with Noomadi for USD55 million, significantly less than the initial compensation claim of USD155 million.