Court hearing set for Sunday in MP Sinan’s seat case

A hearing has been scheduled for the case submitted to the Supreme Court seeking to declare that MP for North Hithadhoo constituency representing the main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), Mohamed Sinan has lost his seat in the People’s Majlis due to failure to pay a court-ordered debt.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for the case for July 13. A hearing for the case was held earlier as well. The case is being heard by Justice Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, Justice Ali Rasheed Hussain, Justice Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, Justice Hussain Shaheed, and Justice Mohamed Saleem.

Speaking at the first hearing of the case, Chief Justice Shujoon, who is part of the bench hearing the case, stated that another hearing would be held only if clarification was needed regarding financial statements showing how the loan repayments were made. Otherwise, the next hearing would be held to deliver the verdict.

The case to determine if PNC member Sinan has lost his seat for failing to pay a loan to the Maldives Islamic Bank as per the court order was submitted to the Supreme Court on February 13 by Ghalib Saleem.

The case against Sinan involves an unpaid loan taken jointly with Ahmed Waheed of S. Hithadhoo, and Mohamed Saleem from the same island.

During the hearing held on June 25, Ghalib stated that Islamic Bank had filed a case with the Hithadhoo Magistrate Court when Sinan failed to repay a MVR 2.5 million loan taken with others.

That court ruled in Sinan's absence last October, ordering the repayment within six months. The ruling also stipulated that a minimum amount should be paid each month. However, as Sinan did not make payments according to the ruling, the bank filed an enforcement case with the court last December.

Therefore, due to failure to pay according to the agreement, the court has ordered to pay the amount due each month, including the charity amount accruing, within six months from the day of the ruling, until the debt is cleared.

The court ruling states that if the payment is not made as per the judgment, Islamic Bank will have the power to enforce the mortgage agreements related to Sinan's boat and Saleem's plot of land and its buildings, which were mortgaged in connection with this facility, to recover all the money owed.

From the previous Supreme Court hearing, it was revealed that on the same day the case was filed on February 13 seeking to declare his seat lost, the entire amount was paid and settled.

As a result, it has been decided not to proceed with the enforcement case submitted to the Hithadhoo Court.