Former MD of Thilafushi Corporation sentenced to three years in prison

The Criminal Court has sentenced former Managing Director of Thilafushi Corporation Limited (TCL) Ibrahim Riyaz to three years in prison, after being convicted of using influence from his position at the Corporation in the award of the land reclamation project in Thilafushi, worth $21 million, to Heavy Load Maldives.

Heavy Load Maldives is owned by former Chairperson of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Reeko Moosa Manik.

The verdict issued by the Criminal Court today stated that Riyaz told the court that the decision to award the project to Heavy Load Maldives was finalised by him, following a decision by the Board of Directors of the Corporation – however, he was not able to prove to the court that this decision was in fact passed by the board.

The court said that this decision by Riyaz was a violation of the Operations Regulations of the TCL.

In light of the documents presented to the court by the state and the confession of the accused, the court found Riyaz guilty of using influence from his position at the Corporation to impose influence, to confer an undue advantage to a particular group.

He was sentenced to prison under Article 12 of the Prevention and Prohibition of Corruption Act, which states that it is an offence for an employee of the government or a government venture to use position or influence from position, to gain or confer an undue advantage pertaining to a task or connected to a task being carried out by the agency or place of his employment; and a person who commits such an offence shall be punishable with imprisonment, banishment or house arrest not exceeding 3 years.

Thilafushi Corporation issued MVR 38.6 million to Heavy Load Maldives as mobilisation payment upon the signing of the agreement for the reclamation project.

The state also pressed charges against former board members of Thilafushi Corporation, Mohamed Wafir and Ahmed Adhly Rasheed. They were however acquitted by the court, which said that the state was not able to present sufficient evidence to prove that they used influence from their positions to confer undue advantages to any particular group.