Ministerial War Of Words Over Resort

By Ajay Makan
August 13, 2007

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A business part-owned by Fisheries Minister Hussain Hilmy has taken out full page newspaper adverts to attack Tourism Minister Dr Shougee, as further cabinet divisions surface following the resignations of Dr Hassan Saeed and Mohamed Jameel last week.

Sunland Hotels took out a full page advert in every major Maldivian daily on Sunday, accusing Dr Shougee of “politically motivated comments,” for apparently questioning the company’s ownership of the Biyadhoo resort.

Sunland controversially won the rights to Biyadhoo, a resort in Malé atoll, in 2004.

A bid from prominent politician and businessman Abdullah Jabir was thrown out on a technicality. And Farooq Omar, who bid $3 million more than Sunland, also lost out.

Jabir and Farooq have since launched separate legal challenges to the award of Biyadhoo to Sunland.

In his resignation press conference last week, former Justice Minister Mohamed Jameel alleged the government planned to settle Jabir’s case by offering him two resorts.

Jameel’s claims led to renewed speculation about the ownership of Biyadhoo. And on Thursday Tourism Minister Dr Shougee told journalists;

“Decisions made regarding … Biyadhoo have not been modified yet.”

Although Shougee appeared to have confirmed Sunland’s ownership of Biyadhoo, the company says his “comments imply the agreement is questionable.”

Instead of resolving the matter privately, Sunland emailed the editors of seven different daily newspapers to place a full page advert for three days starting from August 12.

The Sunland advert, which was sent to Minivan Daily, Haveeru and Jazeera, says Shougee comments were “politically motivated.”

And it reveals the Tourism Ministry made further agreements with Sunland on Biyadhoo, despite ongoing legal challenges on the resort’s ownership.

Sunland says on 5 May 2005 the government, “having investigated the claims by other parties,” signed an agreement, guaranteeing “that nothing has to be changed to compensate the failed bidders.”

Both the civil court and High Court have since disagreed with the government’s conclusion.

In August 2005 the civil court ruled Farooq Omar’s bid should be re-examined. And in 2006, the High Court ruled Abdullah Jabir’s bid should not have been thrown out.

Both cases have now been sent to the closed door Judicial Advisory Committee, chaired by President Gayoom.

Farooq Omar says however the President’s committee rules on his case, the Sunland adverts shows, “the government signed a contract while my case was going on, which is a contradiction.”

A Sunland source played down the apparent public confrontation between cabinet ministers, saying, "it's business, not politics." But he admitted the company's has fears, "Shougee favours Jabir's claims."

Neither Hussain Hilmy or Dr Shougee were available to comment today.

Sunland has withdrawn the advert after just one day and asked for it not to appear in Monday or Tuesday's evening’s papers.