Supreme Court revokes verdict to compensate Dheebaja with MVR 348m

The Supreme Court has revoked their earlier verdict to compensate Dheebaja Investment Pvt Ltd with over MVR 348 million, for losses incurred due to the state dissolving an agreement signed with the company under the Nasheed administration.

In 2011, the Maldivian government had contracted Dheebaja to provide transport ferry services in four nothern atolls of the Maldives during the presidency of former President Mohamed Nasheed. The agreement between the state and Dheebaja had been dissolved under the Waheed administration, at which point Dheebaja had taken the case to court and won a civil suit. In 2014, the Civil Court had ordered the state to issue MVR 348.1 million in compensation to Dheebaja for losses incurred due to the dissolution of the contract. The High Court had revoked the Civil Court's ruling to compensate Dheebaja in this case in 2018, following which in 2019, the Supreme Court revoked the High Court's order and reinstated the Civil Court's ruling in this case.

In 2019, the Supreme Court had cited their reason for backing the Civil Court's order in this case as the High Court having reviewed the case after the window for appealing the case had closed.

With the Supreme Court revoking their earlier verdict to compensate Dheebaja Investment Pvt Ltd with over MVR 348 million, the company can once again appeal the case with the Supreme Court. The Judges that presided over this case at the Supreme Court include Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim and Judge Aisha Shujoon Mohamed.

In their most recent verdict, the Supreme Court notes that they had always debated the legitimacy of the High Court's reviewing of the case, and not the legitimacy of whether or not Dheebaja was owed compensation. As such, the Supreme Court had asserted that their earlier verdict in this case was flawed, also highlighting that the High Court's order was illegitimate as it had been issued after the close of the appeals window. Despite this, following the Supreme Court's most recent ruling, the High Court's earlier order has been revoked, and Dheebaja will once again have a 15-day period to appeal the case at the Supreme Court once more.