First phase of Border Control System completed amid legal issues

The Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) and its project contractor Nexbis Sdn Bhd from Malaysia have completed the first phase of installing a Border Control System in the Maldives, amid serious unsettled legal issues.

Implementation of the 39 million US Dollar (601 Million in local currency) project began last year, in November, but was put on hold for a while when the Anti-Corruption Commission of the Maldives (ACC) ordered temporary termination of all work regarding the project, as the ACC found out that the whole project was handled in a way that would lead to corruption. However, implementation began January this year, when the Civil Court reviewed the matter and declared that the ACC could not order estoppel of the project.

When ACC appealed the decision of the Civil Court at the High Court, the latter issued a temporary injunction ordering the Project to be put on hold. However, by the time the High Court order came, on the 10th of this month, the first phase of the Project was already complete, said a Government official who spoke to Sun Online today.

“Within two days of the High Court Order, the officials of Nexbis left the country. By then, computer systems, geometrical equipment and other installations were already done, and a completely new and up-to-date server room had been established in the Airport. The installations cost some 10 million Rufiyaa”, said the official.

The same government official also said that a training program for DIE staff on the new system had been planned for the 10th of this month, and that the system was to start operations on the 20th of this month.

“To my knowledge, the only thing that needed to be done was installation of software. The system has been fully established, and that is the first phase according to the contract between DIE and Nexbis”, said the official.

The Government has said that its policy is to carry out the project as per the contract made with Nexbis. According to the contract, there would be three phases of the contract. The second phase would include installation of further systems for online visa service, and some other new services. The third phase would include improving services related to passport mechanism.

Hassan Luthufy, President of the ACC, said today that he had heard reports claiming that the first phase of the project was complete, and added that “it is sad”. “The Government has said that it would cooperate with independent commissions. But it appears that that cooperation is not to be given, and if that is the case, it is against the Government’s assurances”, said Hassan.

The contract between DIE and Nexbis was executed during late 2010, by the then Government of Mohamed Nasheed, in violation of an ACC order to delay execution of the contract. However, Nasheed’s Government ignored ACC order and signed the agreement. The ACC then reviewed the matter further and ordered implementation of the project to be put on hold, during January 2011, saying that the arrangement was tainted with corruption. Yet, the Government refused to abide by the orders of ACC, which then filed the case at the Civil Court during November last year. When the Civil Court ruled during January this year that ACC could not order implementation of the project to be withheld, ACC appealed the decision of the Civil Court at the High Court of the Maldives. High Court’s interim order to temporarily stop implementation came on the 10th of this month.