Supreme Court of the Maldives has issued a verdict in favor of Velaa Private Island regarding an appeal filed on the USD 43 million dispute involving the resort and a private party.

The case was appealed at the Supreme Court in late March by Gladonia.

Ahmed Ashfaq, native to Foakaidhoo island in Shaviyani atoll is seeking the USD 43 million as compensation against Velaa’s landscape manager for breaking a verbal agreement made with him.

The agreement in question was made to supply plants to the island in 2013 and Ashfaq claims that he has not received payment for the plants he had supplied thus far.

Ashfaq sought USD 43 million which Velaa refused to pay up according to Ashfaq. On Monday the Supreme Court issued the verdict that there was no evidence backing Ashfaq’s claim.

Velaa’s parent company Gladonia Maldives claimed that it had not made any contracts with Ashfaq but with Mohamed Saeed, who is in fact Ashfaq’s sub-contractor, whom the company was familiar with and had contracted to supply the plants.

Gladonia also revealed that they have the documents of payment made to Saeed and refuted having to owe anything to Ashfaq. The company had provided the documents to High Court, which had overturned the verdict by Civil Court in favor of Gladonia and instructed the lower court to review its verdict.

The company also accused Ashfaq of attempting to soil the company’s reputation, going on to highlight that Saeed had testified to not knowing or ever having spoken to Ashfaq.