Privately-operated station SanguTV has refused to follow through with the Maldives Broadcasting Commission’s directive for a public apology, until a court order to do so.

Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed, a prominent journalist and the station’s managing director, said that they do not accept the commission’s allegation and subsequent penalty to be valid.

However, SanguTV will be following through with the commission’s imposition of a MVR 100,000 fine as the case over the matter can only be filed in court after its payment in full.

Waheed said, while speaking on SanguTV on Sunday night, that they will be filing the case with the court once they pay off the fine.

SanguTV was fined on grounds of airing content slandering President Abdulla Yameen. The content in question is an interview with Thimrafushi constituency MP Mohamed Musthafa, who allegedly used derogatory language in reference to Yameen.

The station has launched a fund-raising drive to meet the sum they require to pay off the fine. Waheed said that he does not believe Musthafa had used derogatory language.

SanguTV is the third private station to be fined over comments made by the Thimarafushi MP; RaajjeTV was fined MVR 500,000 while VMedia Group was fined a total of MVR 400,000.