The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to sue Thilamale' bridge developer Afcons over the failure to pay a fine owed for damage caused by a platform that ran aground on the Vilimale' reef.
EPA Director General Ibrahim Naeem told Adhadhu today that Afcons has not paid the MVR 69.4 million fine imposed over the platform that ran aground on the Vilimale' reef.
The agency is preparing to file a lawsuit, Naeem confirmed.
"The fine still hasn't been paid. So we're working on filing the case at court," Naeem noted.
The "Yuvaraj" platform set up between Male' and Villimale' for the Thilamale' bridge construction ran aground on the Villimale' reef in August 2022 after an anchor malfunction. When the platform was removed 12 days later, 10-foot-deep holes were found in the Villimale reef.
After an investigation, the EPA fined Afcons MVR 69.4 million. But the company appealed to the Environment Ministry for fine relief. The company asked the ministry to review the fine but then-Environment Minister Aminath Shauna decided not to grant relief.
Afcons then sought a stay order to halt enforcement of the fine but the Civil Court decided not to grant the order.
In its court case, Afcons denied any negligence in the grounding incident, which it said had been caused by large waves beyond its control.
