High Court has concluded the case filed by Center Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. against the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in favour of ACC.
The case was filed by Center Enterprises Pvt Ltd when ACC halted Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) from paying the company under an agreement made on 18th November 2018 to supply a 17-tonne bolland tug boat to MPL.
In the lawsuit, the company sought MVR 815,913,266.94 as damages for loss that the company claimed to have incurred due to the order issued by ACC, claiming that ACC had falsely stated project was not being carried out in accordance the agreement between the two parties, and that the company did not have the capability to complete the projcet.
However, while the company claimed that the ACC had acted ultra vires in issuing the order, the Civil Court ruled that the Anti-Corruption Commission was not found to have acted in bad faith or ultra vires in issuing the order. The ruling was subsequently appealed at the High Court by the company.
The High Court ruling said according to Article 202 of the Maldivian Constitution and Article 21 of the Anti- Corruption Commission Act, there was no basis to conclude that the commission's move had been in bad faith or beyond their legal power and authority. The High Court also ruled there was no basis to conclude that the Civil Court's initial ruling on the case as wrong.
