November 5, 2007
Yacht Tours will take the Government to court if they are unhappy with compensation offered for a disqualified resort bid, the company's owner Abdullah Jabir has told Minivan News.The Government yesterday announced it will award Yacht Tours an island, after an independent committee ruled the company may have won the Biyadhoo Resort if its bid had not been disqualified in 2004
An Opportunities Cost Assessment (OCA) found Yacht Tours would have made $33,294,745 if they had run Biyadhoo for the 35 year lease period on offer. The Government has opted to offer Yacht Tours an island instead of cash compensation.
Talks appear set to begin this afternoon, although a Tourism Ministry official had told Miadhu yesterday they were "already underway."
Yacht Tours' owner, Abdullah Jabir, says he is not sure he will accept the Government's offer, even though he "always wanted an island" as compensation.
"It all depends on terms, conditions, and the island they offer," the People's Association member said today. “The island I lost is in Male' atoll, so I want one from there."
Jabir is hoping for an "amicable settlement,"
"But if the offer is not acceptable, I will take the Government to court," he said. "And I will ask for Biyadhoo and loss of revenue."
Tourism Minister Mahmood Shaugee told Minivan News the Ministry had not yet decided on a "particular island."He said he would return to the Government to find out the islands on offer after the meeting this afternoon.
"We will try and find one as similar as possible to Biyadhoo, in terms of proximity shape and size," he added.
Responding to Jabir’s threats, Shaugee said it is "too premature" to comment on any court case.
"But I would certainly not say anything negative about anyone who feels it necessary to pursue their case with the judiciary."
The minister "remains optimistic" a solution can be found to "satisfy all parties.
Jabir’s threat to sue for Biyadhoo will alert Sunland, the company part owned by Fisheries Minister Hussain Hilmy, which won the resort in 2004.
Sunland has repeatedly stated that it won the resort in “a transparent bidding process,” and that Yacht Tours’ compensation claim has no relevance to the company’s tenure of Biyadhoo.
In August the company took out a full page advert in every national paper condemning Minister Shaugee for apparently questioning the resort's ownership.
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