The owner of Mash’ar Group, Ali Farish, has been sentenced to three years and over two months in jail by the Criminal Court for fraud and deception linked to unpaid Umrah ticket fees.
Farish failed to pay for the return tickets of 48 Umrah pilgrims after issuing two bounced cheques totaling over MVR 546,000 to Ace Aviation Service and Ace Travels Maldives. The bounced cheques led to the cancellation of the pilgrims’ return flights, causing financial loss and inconvenience.
During court proceedings, Farish claimed he transferred MVR 100,000 after being informed about the bounced cheques but argued that the total amount payable should be less due to the cancellation of return tickets by the travelers. However, the court found the evidence sufficient to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The court ordered Farish to pay MVR 406,321 (approximately USD 26,350) to Ace Aviation and Ace Travels within two years to cover the damages.
Additionally, the Islamic Ministry filed a complaint against Mash’ar Group after several travelers were stranded in Saudi Arabia due to these issues. The stranded pilgrims were eventually repatriated at the company’s expense amid growing public criticism and government intervention.
This is not the first time Mash’ar Group faced legal troubles. In 2023, the group, previously operating as Al-Mash’ar Hajj & Umrah Group, lost its registration for facilitating Hajj and Umrah trips and subsequently rebranded as Mash’ar Tours.
