Economic Minister, Fayyaz Ismail has said that as the Economic Minister, he did not influence in acquiring funds from the state for Business Image Group (BIG) after Civil Court ruled for TVM to pay MVR 78 million for advertisements when Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) ran the station.

In June 2016, the Civil Court ruled that TVM has a pending MVR 78 million to be paid to BIG. However, the payment process did not start until February 2019. Currently MVR 30 million form the MVR 78 million has been paid to the advertising company.

In response to a question from the MP for Kaashidhoo constituency, Abdulla Jabir at the parliament session today, Minister Fayyaz said that BIG was a company formed with his close friends a lot of hard work was put into it.

The line of questioning at the parliament today asked the Minister whether he, a family member or close friends had a share in the company and if he had a hand in releasing state funds to the company while the Civil Court ruling is being appealed.

Minister Fayyaz responded that he had resigned from the board of the company in 2015 due to the political challenges for the company due to his work as a politician. He said that he is unaware of who has shares of the company however, he has a brother who is a shareholder in the company.

Fayyaz said that he is unaware that anyone who has a vested interest in the BIG company is on a government board.