The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing concerning former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s alleged responsibility for the debts of the now-dissolved Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP). The session, initially slated for today, was removed from the schedule following a request from the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) for additional preparation time.
MTCC had previously initiated legal action to hold Maumoon accountable for an outstanding sum of MVR 1.1 million owed by DRP for services rendered. The Civil Court ruled in Gayoom’s favor, stating he could not be held liable for the party’s debts. Dissatisfied with this outcome, MTCC appealed to the High Court, which decided to proceed with the case despite procedural objections from Maumoon’s legal team. In response, Maumoon escalated the matter to the Supreme Court in April of last year.
The Supreme Court bench assigned to this case includes Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Justice Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, and Justice Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim. A new date for the hearing has yet to be announced.
Gayoom’s defense maintains that the debt in question pertains to transactions conducted before the enactment of the Political Parties Act, arguing that the law should not be applied retroactively. Furthermore, they assert that Maumoon was not the party’s highest authority when the debt was incurred, referencing Election Commission documents to support this claim. They also contend that MTCC should have addressed the debt during DRP’s dissolution process.
The Civil Court’s judgment highlighted that, according to a prior Supreme Court ruling, transferring debt responsibility to an individual not included in the original case is impermissible without their explicit consent. Since Maumoon denies responsibility, the court concluded he cannot be held liable for the debt.
This case has garnered significant attention due to Maumoon’s prominent role in Maldivian politics. After founding DRP and leading it as the largest opposition party, internal conflicts led him to establish the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in 2011. Following his expulsion from PPM in 2016, Maumoon founded the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM). The Elections Commission later dissolved DRP for failing to meet the legally mandated membership threshold of 3,000 members.
The Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision is anticipated to set a significant precedent regarding the financial liabilities of political party leaders for their organizations’ obligations.
