Former President Nasheed’s associate, Mr.Abhishek Verma, an Indian arms dealer, has threatened to sue The Maldives Report for reporting about his meeting with Mr. Nasheed.
Mr.Verma is an Indian billionaire engaged in arms dealing among many of other shady and morally questionable businesses. In a Facebook post earlier today, Mr.Verma appealed to his followers to find information about the editor of The Maldives Report. He offered USD$500 for accurate information about the editor of TMR.
In another statement issued via Facebook, Mr.Verma questioned why he should not meet former President Nasheed. However, he did not explain the reason for this meeting.
Mr.Verma requested to delete the news article and offer a public apology within 3 days. He stated that if not, he intends to sue TMR in Maldives and also internationally for defamation for $ 100 million with criminal liability.
At the time of this writing, there is no anti-defamation law in the Maldives and there is no international court with the jurisdiction to hear defamation cases.