Appeal hearing of the for MD of Thilafushi Corp. has been cancelled

Appeal hearing of the former Managing Director of Thilafushi Corporation, Ibrahim Riyaz, who has been sentenced to three years in prison, has been cancelled after it was scheduled for today.

Ibrahim Riyaz was sentenced to prison by the Criminal Court for using influence of his position to give USD 21 million to Heavy Load Maldives owned by the former MDP Chairperson, Rico Moosa Manik during the dredging project in Thilafushi.

It is unclear as to why the hearing scheduled for 10:15 a.m. today was cancelled. While multiple hearing of the appeal has already been held, the case is at a sentencing stage now.

The verdict from the Criminal Court said that dredging project was awarded to Heavy Load by Riyaz and he said that he made that decision under a decision made by the Corporation’s Board.

And the verdict says that he couldn’t prove that the Board made a decision to award the project to Heavy Load to court. And there is evidence to support that he made the decision against the regulations of Thilafushi Corporation.

And so the confession from Riyaz and the documents submitted to court by the state proves that he used influence to make profit for another.

Ibrahim Riyaz was sentenced to prison under the Article 12-B of the Anti-corruption law.

When the dredging project was awarded to Heavy Load Maldives, Thilafushi Corporation paid MVR 38.6 million to the company as a mobilization payment.

Members of the Board at Thilafushi Corporation, Mohamed Wafir and Ahmed Adlee Rasheed was also charged with corruption and found innocent after the state failed to provide enough evidence to prove that they used the influence of their positions to gain profit for another.