Scam eponymous mother walks free

The Civil Court has dropped charges against a woman involved in a scam.

The woman attached to the scam, is the mother of the suspected scammer.

Sulthana Ahmed is charged in the lawsuit, whose son Ibrahim Hunain Ahmed had acquired MVR 400,000 in rent advance through an apartment lease agreement with the claimant, Hawwa Sadha.

Hunain allegedly misrepresented the rental of an apartment in M. Faagathige under Sulthana's proprietorship.

The defendent allegedly did not handover the apartment in accordance to the lease agreement signed on January 22nd, 2020 to rent the apartment on the building's fourth floor.

Since Sulthana signed the agreement in her capacity as the apartment proprietor, she was charged with the lawsuit. The defense sought to claim the advance money paid to take the apartment on rent.

However, at the trial Sulthana pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing she was unduly coerced by her son to sign the agreement. She had further requested from the court to annul the contract deeming it in breach of the Maldives Contract Act.

The defense further argued that the advance money was never paid her by Sadha, adding that the defense did not believe the apartment should be rented out to the claimant on this ground and owing to the void contract.

Adduced evidence and the documents to the court indicated the advance was paid directly to Hunain.

The court held there was no grounds to claim the advance money from Sulthana since she did not demand for it, adding that owing to the non-payment of the advance rendered the handover of the apartment on rent null.