Airport was leased to a foreign company without considering the best interest of the nation- President

President Dr. Mohamed Waheed has said that the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport was leased to a foreign company without considering the best interest of the nation.

The President made this statement while speaking to the people of Dhaandhoo yesterday evening. The President visited the island of Dhaandhoo as the last stop of his tour of the North Huvadhu Atoll.

President Dr.Waheed said that the airport was established and developed by the hard work and sacrifices of many people. He said that this gateway to the Maldives was leased to a foreign party with the state earning little from it and with all the profit going to them. He said that the leasing of the airport was conducted without considering its drawback on the Maldivian economy.

The President noted that those who were responsible for this are now calling to lease the airport back to GMR again. He said that it is saddening that a small group of people are deceived by these people.  

In addition to this, President Waheed said that crimes like the murder of late Dr Afrasheem Ali would never be tolerated in the Maldives.

Noting that it was the murder of one of the most renowned scholars in the Maldives, the President stated that it was politically motivated, organized in advance, and well-orchestrated. The President underlined that it was the first time in the history of Maldives that a high-profile contract killing had taken place.

The President stressed that the incident was intolerable and totally unacceptable. He said that the government was working very patiently, in finding the truth behind the murder, with assistance from international organizations.

In his speech, the President said that it was disappointing that such incidents take place in the Maldives, and that it was tragic that the Maldivian people had to face it. The President said that we should all pray to Almighty Allah to help us overcome these tragic incidents, noting that it was in no way was it a small incident.

The President said that if the state of the Maldives worsens further, we wouldn’t have much hope, and that we won’t be able to live the happy, harmonious life that we live today. He said that the Maldives was at a high risk of falling in to a hole of conflict.

Continuing on, the President stressed the importance of being alert about such incidents, and said that the government was watchful of such crimes.

President Waheed said that the government would not risk the Maldives falling into a trap of domestic unrest, and that the necessary steps would be taken legally and in all other relevant areas. The President further assured that the government would take whatever measures that need to be taken for the safety of the Maldivian people.