Fuggiri to be sold ahead of completion of corruption trial

Procedure on the sale of R. Fuggiri have been initiated as the trial of the money laundering and bribery case against former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in connection to the lease of the island for resort development is presently underway at court.

In an announcement released by the Tourism Ministry today, they said the lessee of Fuggiri has applied for the transfer of their rights to another party. Therefore, the Ministry have asked any pending cases or debts pertaining to the island be informed to them within 14 days.

Yameen is accused of taking a USD 1.1 million bribe for the lease of Fuggiri, and laundering the money through Sun Construction and Engineering Pvt. Ltd. and Sun Investment Pvt. Ltd. 

Both Sun Construction and Engineering and Sun Investment have denied the allegation. 

Although the lessee of Fuggiri was announced officially – Pandora Papers show that the island was acquired jointly by two Indian entrepreneurs Avinash Bhosale and Amith Kumar Gandhi.