Former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom states prominent businessman and Jumhoory Party (JP)’s leader Qasim Ibrahim accused him of cruelty towards him because his administration had not awarded islands and lagoon to Qasim as her had been during preceding administrations.
Yameen and Qasim have been engaged in heated exchanges over Kaadedhdhoo Airport issue. In this regard, Yameen, while speaking during PNF’s ‘Wake Up’ rally last Thursday night, said his administration nullified the lease agreement pertaining to Kaadedhdhoo Airport and repossessed the airport in exchange for waiving USD 33 million in unpaid taxes owed to the state by Qasim’s company, Villa.
Qasim rejected Yameen’s claims in a statement, describing the former president as a resentful and envious individual who would go to any length to tarnish Qasim’s businesses and undermine his family.
In response, Yameen, on Sunday night, said Qasim labeled him as “cruel” individual because his administration had not awarded islands and lagoons to Qasim contrary to preceding administrations.
“I want to remind Qasim that, why I was “cruel”, when he continues to label “President Yameen” as the individual who was the “cruelest” to him at the top of his voice today? It is because I had not given lagoons and islands contrary to other administrations,” he said.
Yameen reminded Qasim the hardships he had to endure in order to travel overseas for medical treatment while in prison during former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom’s administration. In this regard, Yameen added that Qasim was only able to travel overseas for medical treatment after surrendering half of his assets to the start as collateral.
In contrast, Yameen said Qasim faced no obstruction to travel abroad for medical treatment overseas when he was jailed during his administration for three years, two months and 12 days after being found guilty of bribing lawmakers.
“What was done when Qasim had to travel for medical treatment during all this? Was anything from his assets seized as collateral? That “cruel” person was the one who sent him off. Was he not abroad until the change administration? He was abroad. Thus, [Qasim] should stop talking about cruelty. Perhaps they think it only them who remember,” the former president said.
Yameen emphasized that Qasim should spend some time recalling how he was treated.
Speaking further, Yameen reiterated that Qasim had made no investments for Kaadedhdhoo Airport, thus would not need be compensated for any damages.
However, Qasim, in his statement, said Villa Air agreed to hand over Kaadedhdhoo Airport to the state in return for USD 21 million.
Qasim detailed that inquiries from the President’s Office placed Kaadedhdhoo Airport’s value at airport, while the value of two lagoons awarded to Villa from Alifu Dhaalu Atoll for the development of an airport stood at USD 33.5 million, at USD 15 million each.
Qasim said Villa counter-proposed two ways to return Kaadedhdhoo Airport to the state: repayment of USD 18 million spent by the company on the airport within an 18-month timeframe or allow Villa to repay unpaid tax dues over an 18-month timeframe.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over the government’s decision to repossess Kaadedhdhoo Airport from Villa by terminating the lease agreement and offering Villa USD 18 million in compensation before the company developed the airport.