The Maldivian government is appealing an injunction granted by the Singapore High Court halting its eviction of Indian infrastructure giant GMR from the Maldives pending the outcome of arbitration proceedings.
Minivan News understands that the hearing began at 10:00am this morning Singapore time, and is expected to take most of the day.
The government at the time denounced the injunction as an imposition on the country’s sovereignty. At a press conference hours after the stay order was granted by the Singapore High Court, Defence and Acting Transport Minister Mohamed Nazim pledged the government would “continue the airport takeover and Insha Allah from next Saturday onwards [the state-owned] Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) will be running the airport.”
“The government remains firm and committed towards implementing its decision to terminate the agreement. We will not reconsider it,” he said at the time.
The deadline for the government’s eviction of the Indian airport developer is midnight tomorrow (December 7).
GMR on Tuesday “categorically” refuted claims by the government to international media that it had agreed to vacate Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), following a meeting between airport CEO Andrew Harrison and Defence and Acting Transport
Harrison told Minivan News that Nazim had said that “no force would be used to take over the airport” and that “media reports that the MNDF would take over the airport are untrue.”
“Our position, which I communicated to them, remains crystal clear,” said Harrison. “The Singapore High Court has issued an injunction which clearly prevents MACL or the Government of Maldives or any of its agents from taking any action that interferes with GMIAL operating the airport.
“The injunction clearly prevents them from taking the action outlined in their notice issued to us stating that the airport would be taken over at the end of the seven day period. We remain resolute in our position and there is no question of an offer being made and certainly no question of any alleged offer being accepted as we will simply not agree to our rights nor the injunction being undermined in any way.”
The Civil Aviation Authority has however informed the developer that its aerodrome certificate will be withdrawn at 23:59 on December 7, without which GMR has acknowledged it cannot operate the airport. The impending stalemate potentially has ramifications for tourism disruption at the start of the peak season.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Affairs Abdullah Mohamed was reported in local media as telling a press conference yesterday that “GMR has the opportunity to seek fair compensation if they are not satisfied with the government’s decision.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has meanwhile issued a statement calling on the Maldivian government to allow the “legal processes involved in the GMR case to take their own course based on the contractual obligations of the parties involved. The Maldivian government should not allow the situation to go out of hand.”
“In this context, it is expected that no arbitrary and coercive measures should be taken pending the outcome of the legal process underway. Resort to any such actions would inevitably have adverse consequences for relations between India and the Maldives,” the MEA Spokesperson said.
“We are concerned over reports from the Maldives about continuing violence and intimidation against elected representatives and expressions of radical sentiments. There is need to ensure that the rule of law is upheld and principles and tenets of democracy are maintained. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
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its is not eviction of GMR from airport and it is a request made by the government to vacate the airport after termination of the agreement by MACL.
This contract is terminated since the contract was done outside the legislative means of the country.
Contract is terminated since it was done in such a way that Maldives do not earn any money from this contract and Maldives is to pay GMR to manage the airport.
It is terminated because GMR is not investing the money and they are only doing minor refurbishment from the money that they are generating from the operation.
It is terminated because, this was huge corrupted deal where Anni and his associates had taken huge cut under the table.
This contract is terminated because , GMR is failed to pay tax properly and MIRA had found that GMR had declared a wrong amount which is quite normal for GMR.
There is tax fraud case going on Delhi right now against GMR.
GMR contract is terminated because Anni gave away airline check-in system which was bought by Island Aviation at zero cost , just with a hand shake.
GMR contract is terminated because, Anni gave away airport with a fuel stock worth over millions of dollars with just a handshake.
these are few reasons why GMR need to go.
If the Singapore court rules GMR to stay, I expect the country's leaders to respect law and order and stop this bul*5h1t. But then again, they never do. Being a Maldivian, I do understand that if the airport belongs to the country, then the country's finances would do better (logicaly). a truth they understood after GMR signed a contract. what is going on here...and to think it was the bloody mullahs behind this including fahari MAN. why do the mullahs even travel? keen on seeing white pple wth short clothes? or partying in lanka after hermitting in maldives? Next thing i know, the cops will be asking for my IP address.. I am in Maldives., male' My IP adress is not changed the same way my mind is.
and for minivan news, comments are visible after your approval. they should be taken off with the commentators approval..weather its cops or marshals at your door.. you dont need to justify yourself for crooks in uniform. u need to justify urself
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/46002
'Singapore court rules Maldives govt can reclaim airport from GMR'
Hey minivan, lets make another propaganda news like 'Maldives military conduct special training to take over the airport by force' 😀
maxed4901 on Thu, 6th Dec 2012 1:12 PM
Now that the Supreme Court of Singapore has ruled in favor of the Maldivian Government, I suggest you ask GMR to hand over the airport peacefully and go back to India.
But I guess your kind of nutters have a one track mind. Since the ruling came against your wishes, MDP slaves of GMR will probably want GMR to defy the ruling.
Lunatics will always be lunatics.
The ruling by the Singapore Supreme Court (SSC) adds nothing new to this; none at all. Unless you're so blinkered that you can't distinguish black from white, then perhaps you might be mistaken to think that the ruling has any bearing on the unilateral action by the Maldivian regime to evict GMR.
Simply put, the SSC ruling just restates a plain fact, i.e. the Maldivian regime always had, and will always have the right to cancel any agreement they enter into with a third party. If you think this is something new, then re-educate yourself. This is part and parcel of commercial contract law.
However, the crux of the matter is, such cancellation has to take place within the bounds of the legally binding agreements that were entered into, in the first place. On that matter, the ruling by the Singapore High Court stands.
The Maldivian regime may spin the SSC ruling as a propaganda tool, but they'll lose further credibility (if there is any left) by going down that path.
my dear frinds the ruling only upholds the right of a sovereign state to acquire property vested within its jurisdication..this is according to international laws..the singapore govt has only upheld this..GMR will have to go, but the government would have to pay compensation as per the contract as such is the international practice..maldvies has a GDP of 3.5 billion USD..the contract is of a little more than 0.5 billion USD..so compesation would be heavy..does maldives has the resources to pay back to GMR..if it does not compensate then maldives is not following the international law
Now we will conclude that the compensation figure will be 700 million and agree to pay it to GMR from whom we the partners of the coalition will receive 200 Million. So a win win situation for all the concerned parties. Bravo
Who the hell is going to pay 700 million ?Anni and his associates will again try thier best to mislead the public with these figures.
Maximum we need to pay will be around 100 million. that 78 million advance payment refund, then another 20 odd millions towards refurbishment and further few million as a compensation.
But paying 100 million is not going be difficult through the revenue generated through the airport.
Indian politicians have done a favour in accepting illegal government of Maldives with anti-Indian elements. Now Indian politicians have disappointed pro-Indian elements in Maldives for doing nothing positive against GMR conflict. Therefore Indian politicians have totally failed in Maldives. Welcome much stronger Chinese presence in Indian Ocean now.
there are pro or anti-indian in Maldives. We are all pro indians and we respect indian government too.
Many Maldivian are against GMR and not with the Indian . Anni and his associates who taken the money from GMR are trying to twist the story for their personal gain.