Tag: mvkb

Civil Court orders MVKB to vacate duty free shop within 48 hours

The Civil Court has ordered MVK Maldives Private Limited to vacate the Alpha MVKB Duty Free shop and hand the premises to GMR Male’ International Airport Private Limited within 48 hours, or face eviction by the authorities. The deadline expires at 10:00am on Wednesday.

Civil Court Judge Maryam Nihayath ordered the Police and Customs Department to implement the verdict in the event that MVKB refused to comply.

MVK’s lawyer Azima Shukoor said that shop evacuation and handover by MVKB was not possible as the shop was currently the property of Customs. “There is nothing we can do about the 48-hour deadline since we don’t have access to the shop. We are forwarding the court order to Customs and requesting access to take inventory of the shop before anything further is done,” she said.

Shukoor explained that certain goods required specific air temperatures, and the shop does not currently have cupboards or shop doors.

Shukoor added that MVKB’s case had been appealed to the Supreme Court, and that the company is awaiting that ruling.

The verdict came after GMR filed a case in the Civil Court for the second time when MVKB refused to implement the earlier verdicts of the Civil and High Courts on the issue.

Judge Nihayath recalled that the High Court has ruled that MVKB has no right to use the land without GMR’s consent because it violates contractual rights.

On December 4, GMR officials began to physically remove the Alpha MVKB Duty Free Shop at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) after “several notices” to vacate the area were “ignored”.

On December 13, the High Court ruled that GMR had vacated the Alpha MVKB Duty Free Shop at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) legally and according to the agreement between both companies.

The High Court stated that GMR gave notice on March 1 and, as per the agreement, the contract terminated on March 31. As no party could extend the termination notice, the court concluded that MVKB had no right to remain at the airport without approval from GMR.

Company CEO Ibrahim Shafeeq subsequently organised a protest on Thursday, December 15 “to demonstrate our opinions and dislike of what GMR has done to us, and to get public responses.” Posters and banners read “Leave us Alone” and “GMR Go Home.”

Shafeeq today said the protest was “very successful, and more people are signing the petition [against GMR].”

Shafeeq said he would continue to protest GMR. “It hurt me and as an individual I have to defend myself,” he said.

Speaking to Minivan News yesterday at the groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of work on the new airport terminal, GMR Chairman G M Rao said the company had encountered similar resistance from existing concessionaires when developing airports in Delhi and Istanbul.

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MVK to protest against GMR following eviction of Alpha MVKB duty free shop

MVK Maldives is organising a protest against airport developer GMR at 8:30pm on Thursday evening in Male’, following the eviction of the company’s duty free shop from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

“We are just demonstrating our opinions and dislike of what GMR has done to us and to get public responses,” said MVK CEO Ibrahim Shafeeq.

The protest comes after the High Court upheld an earlier Civil Court ruling that GMR’s termination of its contract with Alpha MVKB Duty-Free was lawful.

The High Court noted that GMR gave notice on March 1 and, as per the agreement, the contract terminated on March 31. As no party could extend the termination notice, the court concluded that MVK had no right to remain at the airport without approval from GMR. Alpha MVKB was originally leased for 10 years under an agreement between MVK and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), with a one month termination clause, the court noted.

On December 4, GMR officials began dismantling a temporary wall outside the Alpha shop and packing up the shop’s contents. Customs officials intervened to oversee the management of the shop goods, which included alcohol products.

Shafeeq claimed that GMR’s actions were “unprofessional”, and he further demanded an apology from Minivan News claiming that its coverage of GMR’s eviction of Alpha MVKB had damaged his reputation.

“What GMR has done is without my permission and without consultation of Customs. They broke into our premises and were stealing our goods and we don’t know where they are now,” he alleged.

“They ransacked the place, we don’t know what they did with the goods, they are under Customs’ purview. We don’t know where the goods are.”

Asked what he hoped to achieve at tomorrow’s protest, Shafeeq replied “Achieve? To get the public opinion on whether we are right, or they are wrong.”

A petition is currently being circulated to register public support for MVK’s cause. The Alpha shop’s General Manager Ahmed Nazim told Haveeru that 30 such papers have been set up outside the MVK office at the Carnival area.

MVK was reported in Haveeru as having provided financial backing to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Shafeeq confirmed the relationship, but said that the planned protest had no political connotations.

“This is nothing to do with any political party. It’s just with MVK employees and the people who are with MVK, who like us, and will sign a petition.”

MVK currently employs “close to 500 employees in Addu, Fuvahmulah, and Male’,” Shafeeq said.

“We are the major supplier for the Maldives hotel industry,” he claimed, adding that the company did not have plans to open another shop.

Pick up trucks with loudspeakers circled Male’ today calling on aiport employees and their families to join the protest.

GMR said the protest would not impact airport operations.

“We are continuing with business as usual, we have an airport to run and cannot stop our operations for this protest,” a spokesperson said.

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