Azima appeals MVR 4m ruling with High Court

Former attorney general Aishath Azima Shakoor has appealed a Civil Court ruling issued last week, ordering her to pay MVR 4 million for failure to repay a loan she took from the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB).

The appeal was filed with the High Court on Tuesday.

Azima was ordered her to pay MVR 4 million in outstanding loan payments and penalties on January 2, following a lawsuit filed against her by the MIB.

Court documents show that in 2016, Azima was issued a loan of MVR 3.1 million, for which she put down an apartment at the Platinum Residence in Hulhumale’ as collateral.

The court found Azima failed to make regular payments for the loan as agreed, and ordered her to pay MVR 4.1 million in outstanding loan payments and penalties to the MIB, within six months.

The ruling was issued against Azima in absentia.

The ruling had come as Azima contests the Male’ City mayoral by-elections scheduled for this weekend. However, it does not affect her candidacy.

The candidate from the main ruling PNC, Azima is seen as one of the frontrunners in the mayoral race.

She has previously stated that she was unable to repay the loan because of the court case filed against her during the previous administration, which she said hindered her ability to earn a living by practicing law.

She also expressed concern that the ruling had come while she had been in talks with the bank to restructure the loan.