Civil Court Rejects MIFCO’s Bid to Overturn MVR 20 Million Compensation Ruling

The Civil Court has dismissed a motion from the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) to vacate a previous ruling that ordered the company to pay MVR 20.5 million in compensation to Employment Bureau Maldives Pvt Ltd.

The ruling, initially made in November last year, stemmed from MIFCO’s failure to honour an agreement to transfer an oil tanker after Employment Bureau won a bid to purchase it in 2010.

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Employment Bureau had filed a case, seeking MVR 20 million in compensation for losses incurred due to not receiving the vessel, alongside MVR 500,000 to cover legal fees. MIFCO did not respond to the charges, leading to the court’s decision being delivered in absentia.

Under civil procedure laws, defendants can request a review of rulings made in their absence. MIFCO had filed a motion for the review, arguing that there were valid reasons for not being held liable for the compensation.

However, in its ruling on Thursday, the court concluded that MIFCO had failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify nullifying the earlier judgment. As a result, the initial ruling remains in place.