Former Deputy Minister Shimaz Ali has been sentenced for failing to settle outstanding credit card payment as previously ordered by the court.
Shimaz, who was appointed as a Deputy Minister under the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) slot in the last Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government, was initially ordered to pay for his Bank of Maldives (BML) issued American Express Gold Card in 2020. When the sentence was handed out, the amount owed was less than MVR 50,000. However, failure to pay had incurred interest, increasing the total amount to be paid to over MVR 200,000.
In its recent ruling, the Civil Court has granted Shimaz another opportunity to pay the pending amount, according to the Civil Court’s outcome report this week. He has been ordered to pay the entire amount over a one year period.
During the MDP government, corruption allegations were also made against Shimaz, including claims of illegal registration of vehicles. Following the allegations, he was reassigned as a Deputy Minister at the Youth Ministry. Shimaz, who has previously worked as a journalist, has consistently denied the allegations.
Former Deputy Minister Shimaz Ali
