Attorney General's Office has filed a case at the Civil Court to retrieve the USD 1.9 million paid in advance to SJ Construction Private Limited to develop Zikra Mosque.
Attorney General's Office stated the Civil Court has accepted the case after it was filed on April 26. The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts had asked the Attorney General's Office and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to detail the work to retrieve the advanced payment for the project.
In 2018, SJ Construction was contracted to develop the 10-floor building at an estimated cost of USD 8.4 million. The administration of former President Abdulla Yameen paid SJ Construction USD 1.9 million as an advanced payment for the project. However, the contract was subsequently terminated after the company failed to complete the project within the 25-month deadline.
Afterwards, SJ Construction appealed at the Civil Court asking for a compensation of USD 7 million for alleged losses incurred over the project. However, the Civil Court ruled that SJ Construction had failed to meet the terms in the agreement and is therefore not eligible for compensation. A report from the Auditor General's Office also showed the contract for the project involved acts of corruption.
The project has since been stalled leaving Zikra Mosque demolished with no further progress. However, the Islamic ministry has constructed a temporary mosque at the premises for Ramadan 2021.