The President's Office has waived a fine of MVR 4.2 million imposed on an Indian vessel for illegally fishing in Maldivian waters and allowed the vessel to leave the Maldives.
Antony Jayabalan, who operated the Indian fishing vessel "Holy Spirit", was fined MVR 4,200,000 million by the Ministry of Fisheries. The fine was waived by the President’s Office on March 10 and the boat departed from Maldives seven days later.
The Indian fishing vessel was seized by the Coast Guard on October 22, 2023, and it was imposed with an MVR 4.2 million fine on October 28, 2023. The boat operator requested for the fine to be waived. However, the previous government decided not to grant the request.
Meanwhile, the Fisheries Ministry had filed a lawsuit in the Civil Court seeking payment for the fine. However, when the President's Office waived the fine, the ministry asked the court to drop the charges and the court dismissed the charges as requested.
Jayabalan, who operated the vessel, told The New Indian Express that the Indian embassy had not provided any assistance to resolve the issue. However, it is not clear whether the Indian Embassy had later communicated with the Maldives government over the matter.
