High court rejects bid to dismiss Sun’s appeal in Uhdhoo case

High Court has ruled that Sun Investment’s appeal over the government’s decision to reclaim Dhaalu atoll Uhdhoo can proceed, rejecting a request from state prosecutors to dismiss the case.

The dispute stems from the government’s decision not to renew Sun’s lease on Uhdhoo following the expiry of an agreement signed in November 2003.

The island had been leased to Sun, a company owned by Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed. The contract expired on 9 November last year, and the state ordered the company to vacate the property within 60 days.

Sun filed a civil case seeking an interim order to prevent the government from reclaiming the island or transferring it to a third party, arguing the agreement should remain in effect until the matter was resolved.

However, the Civil Court decided not to issue the order.

Sun then appealed the ruling in High Court. In response, the state argued the appeal violated the Civil Procedure Code and claimed it amounted to an abuse of process, requesting that it be dismissed.

Last week, High Court rejected that request, saying there was no legal basis to reject the case. The judgment noted that the issues raised by Sun could not be resolved without a full hearing and that the appeal could not be dismissed on the grounds that it abused judicial procedure.

The state, the court said, is therefore required to respond to the case.

The government earlier seized Noonu atoll Minaavaru, another island leased to a company linked to Siyam, for agricultural purposes citing breach of agreement.