MMRC sues SOF for MVR 160 mn

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has filed a lawsuit against the company – Scores of Flare (SOF) Private Limited – founded by Mohamed Allaam Latheef (Moho), who is a close associate of imprisoned former Maldivian Vice President and Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor.

Audit report released by MMPRC shows that the corporation had transferred USD 70.17 mn (MVR 1 billion) to the bank account of SOF. MMPRC had noted that it was money that should have gone to the State for lease of islands and lagoons for tourism.

MMPRC has sued SOF for the MVR 158 million owing as part of a contract between the two companies as well as the MVR 6.1 million it issued to SOF.

The case has gone to trial after failure to resolve the issue out of court.

SOF had accused MMPRC of hiding vital corrupt dealings that had gone on within the corporation in their audit report. And had called out for an independent and transparent forensic audit into the issue.

Adeeb, former Managing Director of MMPRC – Abdulla Ziyath and businessman Hamid Ismail have been sentenced to prison over the embezzlement scandal.