The government has refused to respond when questioned why a fine of MVR 4.2 million imposed on an Indian vessel for illegally fishing in Maldivian waters was waived by the President's Office.
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.
Lawyers say the President's Office does not have the legal authority to waive the fine. Some legal experts believe that the Fisheries Ministry has the authority to waive fines on fishing vessels.
When questioned why the fine was waived by the President's Office, the government's Chief Spokesperson Heena Waleed did not respond. Adhadhu requested for a comment on three days, but no response was provided.
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.
