Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has filed a case against two companies operated under Villa Group, owned by Jumhooree Party Leadear and Maamigili Constituency Parliamentarian Qasim Ibrahim.

The filed case states that Villa Hotels and Resorts and Villa Shipping and Trade, two companies of the Villla conglomerate, owes the state over US$ 37 million.

As such, the state is pressing to recover US$ 18.6 million from Villa Shipping and Trade for the lease and penalties of some islands leased to the company. MIRA is also pressing to recover over MVR 18.9 million in connection to the lease and penalty fees of Elaa island lease. Previously, accounts belonging to the company were frozen by MIRA over the same matter.

Villa Group continues to assert that there are no outstanding payments to the state. The Group had also earned the “Gold Laari” status accorded by MIRA for having paid the most taxes to MIRA.

No statement had been released by the company yet.