Thursday 6th Feb 2025
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President Maumoon

Supreme Court to Hear Maumoon’s Appeal on Liability for DRP Debt

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on an appeal filed by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom regarding his liability for debts incurred by the now-dissolved Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP). The appeal will be heard on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. by a bench comprising Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Justice Aisha Shujoon, and Justice Mohamed Ibrahim.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed by the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) to recover MVR 1.1 million in outstanding dues for services provided to DRP. Maumoon, the founding leader of DRP, was named in the case following the party’s dissolution by the Elections Commission (EC) for failing to maintain the legally mandated 3,000 members.
The Civil Court initially ruled that Maumoon could not be held liable for the debt, stating that a third party can only be held accountable if they explicitly agree to take responsibility. Since Maumoon denies any such agreement, the Court determined he was not liable.
MTCC subsequently appealed the ruling to the High Court, which decided to proceed with the case despite Maumoon’s request for the appeal to be dismissed. Dissatisfied with the High Court’s decision, Maumoon filed an appeal with the Supreme Court in April last year.
Maumoon has maintained his stance that he should not bear responsibility for DRP’s financial obligations. The case has drawn attention due to Maumoon’s historic role in Maldivian politics, including founding DRP and later establishing the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) following political differences and party realignments.
The upcoming hearing is expected to address the legal interpretation of liability concerning political party debts and could set a significant precedent for similar cases.