Singapore, Dec 8 (IBNS) The Maldivian government on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday took over the possession of capital Male's Ibrahim Nasir International Airport from Indian infrastructure company GMR after it lost its case against the government on the airport project with a Singapore court ruling that the archipelagic nation can cancel a $511 million airport development contract given to the firm.
Commenting on the takeover, President Mohamed Waheed's press secretary Masood Imad said the "Maldives Airport Company Limited has taken over the operations of the Ibrahim Nassir International Airport from GMR and the transfer process was very smooth and seamless."
GMR lost its case after the Chief Justice of Singapore court ruled that the "Maldives government has the power to do what it wants, including expropriating the airport."
GMR later said they were assured that as a result of the takeover, their employees, suppliers and other interested parties will not be put to any inconvenience."
"GMIAL remains committed to finding a suitable solution to this situation. We are taking requisite steps to work out the compensation receivable from the government of Maldives, keeping in mind the judgement of the aforementioned court and the concession agreement dated June 28, 2010," the company said in a release.
Earlier, the Maldives president's spokesperson after the judgement said the government would call fresh global tenders for the project of modernizing GMR Male' International Airport Ltd (GMIAL).
On Dec 3 it seemed GMR group got a reprieve when the Singapore High Court had stayed the termination of the multi-million dollar contract that the company was executing at Male airport in Maldives but got caught in the vortex of politics and anti-India feelings.
But the reprieve was short lived and finally the verdict went in favour of Maldvies government.
The Government of Maldives had earlier terminated the contract, triggering strong reactions from the GMR group.
GMR earlier said that the action was unilateral and completely irrational.
Relations between India and Maldives had soured over the issue, especially after a government spokesperson said the Indian High Commissioner should leave their country over the airport project.
Maldives president Mohamed Waheed as well as pro-government Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) later condemned the remarks made against the Indian High Commissioner D M Mulay by government Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza.
At a rally organized by the Civil Coalition against Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) operator GMR (an Indian company), Abbas had said that Mulay had taken bribe from the Indian company and said that "the Indian High Commissioner would have to leave the country the same day GMR is ousted."
Abbas also purportedly called Mulay anti-Maldives and that he is not wanted on their soil.
But a day later, the government disassociated itself from the remarks.
GMR Male' International Airport Pvt. Ltd. is a joint venture company promoted by Bangalore-headquartered GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL) along with its sole consortium partner Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB).
In June 2010, the consortium won concession for the Malé International Airport (later renamed as Ibrahim Nasir International Airport ) for a period of 25 years.
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport INIA is the special purpose vehicle formed in Maldives pursuant to the concession in which the stake of GIL and MAHB is 77% and 23% respectively.
More than 1200 employees from Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) were to be transferred to GMR Malé International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (GMIAL) as part of the privatisation.
There has been many criticism of the GMR managing the airport in Male. Many protests were organized against GMR and it has become very unpopular among the Maldivians, according to reports.
