Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath has maintained the administration did not advise any party to make payments to Business Image Group (BIG). The attorney general made the statement responding to a question posed by Parliamentarian Abdulla Jabir, regarding large amounts of money allegedly owed to BIG by the state.
Parliamentarian Jabir asked Attorney General Riffath if he had advised any party to make payments to BIG in accordance with the Civil Court verdict. In response, Riffath said the state was not the defendant in the case that BIG filed against the state broadcaster and that therefore, the state need not appeal the case.
It was in June 2016 that the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) was ordered by the Civil Court to pay USD 4.841 million. However, it was only in February 2019 that BIG started receiving payments.
MNBC was later transformed to Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and later Public Service Media (PSM). Referring to these changes, Riffath said a case represented by three companies needed no representation from the Attorney General's Office. However, he mentioned the funds were released in accordance with advice received on September 22, 2016 by then Deputy Attorney General and current Parliamentarian Ahmed Usham. In response, Usham said in his 10 years working with the Attorney General’s Office, he has signed several counsels.
Parliamentarian Jabir also questioned the Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail if he had vested interests in BIG. However, Speaker of Parliament noted the question was personal and need not be answered.
Regardless, Economic Minister Fayyaz clarified that until 2015, he had vested interests in BIG where he was the Managing Director. However, he said he resigned from the position and from the board of directors in 2015.
Jabir demanded to clarify if Fayyaz or anyone from his family had vested interests in BIG and to see if any of his family members have been appointed to any board of a public company. The minister responded that people with close ties are in fact shareholder of BIG. However, he said he has no knowledge of a relative being appointed to any board of a public company.
The question resulted in a heated debate on the parliament floor, after which the minister was not questioned any further.