Hulhumalé South MP Shameed Vows to Settle MVR 4.3 Million Debt to Keep Seat

Dr. Ahmed Shameed, the Member of Parliament for Hulhumalé South and a member of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has said he will pay off and settle a debt in accordance with a Civil Court judgment over a guarantee he gave for a loan taken by Duplex Private Limited. Under the judgment, approximately 4.3 million rufiyaa owed to the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) must be paid; if the money is not paid in accordance with the judgment, he will legally lose his parliamentary seat. According to the judgment decided by the Civil Court on Wednesday, the case was filed by MIB over the non-payment of money owed on a 500,000 US dollar facility it had issued. The claim was filed against two companies concerned and the individuals responsible for the facility, and the court decided the case against five parties who gave guarantees, including Dr. Ahmed Shameed, in addition to the company. In a statement issued in connection with the judgment, Dr. Ahmed Shameed said that although Duplex Private Limited is a company formed with former friends, differences of opinion arose and it will be seven years since he has remained distant from the company's management. He noted that the loan was taken for the personal use of some shareholders and that he gave the guarantee as assistance because the loan would not have been taken without his guarantee. The statement also says that from the point it became known that the company was not paying the money, the company's senior officials were repeatedly asked to pay, and that when those parties did not pay, he has been paying the money from his own capacity. In addition, Shameed said that even when the case was filed in court, the company's senior officials did not pay attention and did not respond to the court. He also noted that he was not told to appear in court before the judgment was delivered, and that he was informed the case had ended via email. Shameed, who is contesting the MDP presidential ticket, also said that at a time when the company's current owners are supporting and working for a politically rival candidate, efforts to politically take away his reputation over such matters involving personal interests are not something that can be accepted. "If this loan is not one taken for my use, even then, I convey full assurance to the beloved people of the constituency that, with the help of Almighty Allah, I will pay and settle this debt imposed on me legally in accordance with the court's judgment," the statement said. In the current 20th People's Majlis, a member's seat has been lost before in a case of a proven debt. The seat of Mohamed Sinan, elected to Hithadhoo North constituency from PNC, was lost in a case concerning a loan of 3.8 million rufiyaa taken by MIB jointly with Ahmed Waheed of Vaadhooge, S. Hithadhoo, and Mohamed Saleem of Vihalagodimagu, the same island. In a case filed by private parties seeking a determination that the member's membership qualification had been lost because the debt was not paid in accordance with the Hithadhoo Court's judgment, the Supreme Court ruled last April that Mohamed Sinan's seat had been lost because it could not be considered that he had paid the money as per the rules in accordance with the judgment.