The Civil Court of the Maldives has issued an order to freeze the bank accounts of the prominent non-governmental organization, Transparency Maldives. The move follows the organization’s failure to settle a court-mandated compensation payment to a former employee.

The enforcement action was initiated after Transparency Maldives failed to meet a three-day deadline to pay more than MVR 356,000 in salaries and benefits to Ali Shareef. On July 5, Shareef filed for the enforcement of the judgment, leading the court to order the freezing of the NGO’s accounts to facilitate the recovery of the funds.

The legal dispute originated when Shareef filed a complaint with the Employment Tribunal, alleging he was subjected to discriminatory treatment by management after securing another job, which ultimately led to his forced resignation. The Tribunal ruled that the dismissal was unlawful, ordering Transparency Maldives to reinstate Shareef and pay MVR 356,932 in lost wages.

Although Transparency Maldives appealed the Tribunal’s decision, the High Court of the Maldives upheld the original ruling. Following the Civil Court’s latest order, Shareef’s legal team stated that the enforcement marks a significant step forward in their pursuit of justice.