Maldives High Court has nullified the verdict issued from the Civil Court regarding the ownership case of online news outlet, Haveeru.

High Court had looked into an appeal case filed by Haveeru founder Dr. Mohamed Zahir Hussain, having declared that the Civil Court had included things that were not a part of the filed suit. High Court has since ordered the Civil Court to re-investigate the case.

Ibrahim Rasheed Moosa, Farooq Hassan and Mohamed Naeem filed suit against Haveeru news agency to acquire their shares in earning as well as the management of the agency.

However, Civil Court had in its verdict issued in 2016, declared that the management had barred former employees from working for another news outlet for a period of two years and to take measures against those who go against this regulation.

Back then, Judge Mohamed Haleem had ordered the authorities to change the agency’s name, transfer the agency’s wealth and power including the website and archive under orders of the majority shareholders.

High Court on Thursday declared that aforementioned things were not requested for by the plaintiffs.

Said three shareholders assert that Haveeru News was formed in 1983 and belong to the agency. However, the newspaper had been running for four years before the establishment of the agency.

The agency was registered by then Information Department under Moosa, Farooq and Naeem, without the inclusion of Dr. Zahir who had signed the documents to form the agency along with the other three.

Haveeru News was halted due to a temporary order issued by now-resigned Judge Haleem. As such, the management of Haveeru halted their publications as they refused to follow the order issued bye Judge Haleem in 2016 which orders Haveeru to involve Moosa, Farooq and Naeem in all of its transactions.