The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation’s (MMPRC) case to recover MVR 164 million from Scores of Flair (SOF), with the Civil Court ready to move forward with the hearings for a second time. 

The first hearing was cancelled due to the defendant’s absence. The court is yet to announce a reschedule-date for this hearing. 

The case had previously gone forth for trial as well, with both parties having exchanged documents. However, the court had dismissed the entire case, citing that the MMPRC had failed to appear for proceedings, which responded saying that it had not received summons for the hearing in question. 

The MMPRC is claiming funds allegedly embezzeled into SOF, a company owned by a close associate of former jailed former vice president Ahmed Adheeb, in the largest corruption case in Maldivian history. 

The corporation expected MVR 158 million in various forms of compensation and the repayment of an additional 6 million, which the corporation had previously transferred to SOF. 

The Anti-Corruption Commission began probing into allegations that MMPRC’s former Managing Director, Abdulla Ziyath, former Vice President Adheeb, and businessman Hameed Ismail had embezzled from resort leases.

The probe was launched in October, though it also began inquiring into a second corruption case in September after Al Jazeera’s investigative unit released an exposé into embezzlement and money laundering dealings primarily uncovered by former Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim, which also comprised of leak phone records and bank statements.

President Abdulla Yameen had insisted that that corruption did not reach higher than the office of his deputy, while the government has deemed Al Jazeera’s report to be ‘biased, and unsubstantiated’.