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UN Maldives commends government’s response in water crisis, opposition condemns

The United Nations in the Maldives has commended relief efforts during the Malé water crisis, though the opposition has attacked the governments preparedness and subsequent handling of events.

In a press release today, the UN in Maldives commended the “outstanding response” of the government, noting that measures were also being taken to address the needs of vulnerable and special needs population.

“The situation does not warrant any humanitarian assistance at the moment. UN is working with the Government to monitor closely that there will be no deterioration of the situation,” the statement continued.

The President’s Office announced today that the closure of government offices would continue for the rest of the week, while offers of foreign assistance have continued to pour in.

Meanwhile, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) condemned government efforts – in particular the decision to continue billing residents for water usage.

“Water should be provided free of charge until the water crisis is resolved,” said Rozaina while speaking at an MDP press conference.

Minister of Defense Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim said this morning that the Malé Water and Sewerage Company’s (MWSC) board of governors have decided to implement a 30 percent discount on water transactions for the month of December.

Addressing the public for the first time during the crisis yesterday, President Abdulla Yameen noted that getting water supplies to the upper floors of buildings had been problematic.

MWSC’s decision contradicts a company statement released two days ago (December 6) saying customers would not be charged until the current crisis is over in order to provide relief for the ground floor level residents who have been donating water.

MWSC charges a progressive rate on the water usage, which rises as the usage increases over a MVR30 fixed monthly charge. The rate can go as high as MVR95 per cubic meter when usage increases over 500 liters.

Relief

Nazim also revealed governments plans to set up a ‘Malé water crisis management fund’ to collect donations in order to recover the MVR300 million (US$20 million) spent on the management of the crisis.

Rozaina criticised the estimated figure of US$20 million by saying that the MDP demanded a technical viewpoint on the damages and an explanation of why US$20 million is required for the repairs. The party has asked whether MWSC’s facilities were insured.

An unnamed Saudi Arabian has already donated US$ 1 million to the fund while local business group Champa Brothers pledged to provide US$100,000.

The MDP has also slammed the government’s failure to give a set date for the resumption of normal services, with members of the president’s task force telling local media yesterday that the issue could not be solved within a “politically desirable” timeframe.

Continuing its extensive relief efforts, Indian navy fleet tanker INS Deepak arrived yesterday bringing with it 1,250 tons of water. The water was then pumped to tanks in Malé through 400 meters of pipe.

The ship – which also has RO capabilities – is now at anchorage near Malé where it be producing 100 tons of water per day which will then be transported to the capital via barges.

Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, MR Rajeev Shahare – speaking aboard INS Deepak yesterday – said that the Indian government had offered technical assistance with the repairs which was refused by the government saying that they are consulting a Japanese firm.

So far, 10 Indian military airplanes have landed at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) bringing with them more than 200 tons of water.

State Bank of India (SBI) also joined relief efforts today, distributing 7.5 tons of water.

A Chinese vessel which arrived last night capable of producing 90 tons of water per day delivered 600 tons of water today to the capital. Two Chinese military flights landed last night with 40 tons of water in between them.

A Bangladeshi military vessel with 5 desalination plants and one hundred tonnes of water is also due to arrive on Thursday (December 11).

Meanwhile, President’s Office Spokesperson Ahmed Muaz announced today hat the government has decided to close all its offices in Malé for the rest of the week after considering the difficulties people could face as a result of the current water problems in Malé.

Muaz noted said that the President’s Office will be open from 10 am to 1pm,while the Maldives Monetary Authority has also announced that it and other banks will be between 11am to 2pm to provide banking services for the public.


Related to this story

No fall back for disaster of this magnitude: President Yameen

Government seeks US$20 million in donations to repair Malé’s desalination plant

President Yameen to return to Maldives as water crisis enters third day

Nasheed calls for inquiry into MWSC fire

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Dealing with the dry spell – Malé’s water crisis continues

Five days since the fire at Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) – the capital city’s sole provider of running water – disrupted water supplies, residents and local businesses struggle to make do with the limited resources available.

As politicians begin finger-pointing, the inhabitants of the capital continue to cope with the crisis in any way they can.

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the Maldives Red Crescent have been distributing bottled water received as aid from neighbouring countries to citizens since December 5.

The drinking water distributed by the MNDF in this manner is being transported to the capital city voluntarily from nearby islands by local businessman Adam Manik of Galolhu Sentuge, owner of Tug Service Marine Pvt Ltd.

Adam Manik has also taken the initiative to set up nearly a dozen large water tanks near the Water Jetty, where drinking water is dispensed free of charge.

“I purchase the water, transport it to Male’ on my boats and distribute it for free to all and any citizens. I see this as a national effort and will continue to provide this service as long as the current water difficulties continue,” Adam Manik told Minivan News today.

Adam stated that his employees have been working relentlessly for the past 4 days on all his boats.

Three of his boats are being utilised for water transportation – ‘Adam 60’, which has the capacity to carry 200 metric tonnes of water, ‘Ifba’ carrying 60 metric tonnes and ‘Namoona’, carrying 20 metric tonnes.

Meanwhile, Happy Market is currently producing ‘Life’ bottled water at maximum capacity, catering to the public, businesses, and resorts.

Happy Market Purchases and Procurement Manager Akram stated that, while the company is unable to provide unlimited supplies, they are working to sell water at an equitable rate.

The public can at the moment purchase one case of four 5 litre bottles at any of the Happy Market outlets in the city for MVR56 (US$3)

Akram stated that other producers of bottled water are slowly resuming retail, which would stabilise the situation while taking some pressure off the sole seller of bottled water.

Leaving water troubles behind

While the queues at free distribution centres grow shorter, there are reports that many residents of Malé have chosen to travel to other islands, especially nearby Villingili and Hulhumalé – both of which have unaffected supply.

Guest house owners confirm that all accomodation at these islands are now fully booked, while some guesthouses have started a new strategy of only renting rooms to Malé residents on an hourly basis.

Traditionally, December is the time of the year when customary circumcision parties are held in the Maldives – which typically include a week long celebration after young boys undergo the procedure.

Fathimath Waheeda stated that on December 4, she had to move her son from the hospital to Villingili as, due to the water shortage, she could not cater to the multitude of guests who would visit her son’s party.

“I rented a room in Villingili and we are having the party here. Less people turn up, but at least there are no concerns of hygiene or catering here,” she said.

Limited water, Limited services

Local businesses are also facing hardship due to the water troubles, with some opting to temporarily close down business until water services resume.

Others continue to persevere, with many gathering water from distribution centres, or collecting water at the limited dispensing hours.

Fahari Cafe’ – run at the North Harbour of Malé – said it is attempting to run business as usual, assigning one employee the task of going to queue at water distribution centres, while another stays alert to collect water during dispensing hours.

Abdulla Saeed, owner of a food outlet called “Home Delivery” stated that they are following the same process.

“What else can we do? This is the work we do to feed ourselves. We cannot give it up regardless of how difficult it may be,” he said.

Marble Hotel owner Athif Saleem said that guests are aware of the crisis and that therefore very few complaints are received.

“We are providing well water to the guestrooms and notifying them of the water supply dispension hours. We are also using rainwater in the cafe for washing purposes and services are available. However, we are getting fewer local customers in the cafe’ during this crisis,” he explained.

Hair salons are also facing difficulties in providing normal services. Many claimed to be open only to offer a limited number of services – those which require a minimal amount of water usage.

Cyza Salon also spoke of decreased number of customers during the crisis.

“Like most others, we also bring water from the distribution centres. We aren’t getting too many customers these four days but if someone does come, we will try to provide services as best as we can”.

According to Special Task Force member Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer, it will take upto 10 days or more for regular water supply services to resume.

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PPM condemns MDP’s “unlawful” resolution for handover of presidency to JP Leader Gasim

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has strongly condemned a resolution adopted by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) national council yesterday calling for Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim to assume the presidency as an interim leader.

The ruling party slammed the move as “irresponsible and cowardly” in a press statement released last night.

“At a time when the government is carrying out swift efforts to resolve the water shortage in Malé, this party believes that the [MDP resolution] is an activity planned by the MDP leadership to cause loss of the country’s peace and security as well as the unity among Maldivians at this juncture,” read the statement.

The PPM also characterised the national council decision as an “undemocratic and uncivilised” attempt to topple a legitimately elected government.

The press statement praised the efforts of President Yameen’s administration and the ministerial task force to normalise the water supply crisis in the capital and declared the party’s “full confidence” in the president.

At an emergency session yesterday, the MDP national council voted 36-2 in favour – with four abstentions – of a resolution proposed by former President Mohamed Nasheed to back Gasim as interim president.

Nasheed contended that President Yameen has failed to perform his duties, was “ruling in absentia” and criticised his response to the ongoing water supply crisis.

The government has also failed to curb gang violence, he continued, noting that a 28-year-old man being stabbed to death the previous night.

Asked about the MDP’s resolution at a press conference yesterday, President Yameen said it was up to the people to change the government.

“Handing over the government to the Jumhooree Party leader or MDP’s leader has to be done when there is a vacancy for some reason,” he said.

“I don’t pay much attention to such talk by President Nasheed.”

Yameen claimed that the MDP government sold shares from the Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) to Japan’s Hitachi Plant Technology for US$16 million after buying it back for US$19 million.

Yameen said he had objected to the sale as an opposition MP at the time.

However, the Nasheed administration sold 20 percent of the company’s shares to Hitachi for US$16 million in January 2010 at US$ 305.90 per share.

In late 2008, the government bought back 24 percent of MWSC share’s from Denmark’s HOH Water Technology for US$19 million at the same share price.

Members of the MDP national council meanwhile noted that President Yameen was elected with the backing of Gasim and the JP.

After initially announcing that the party would remain neutral, the JP’s council decided to endorse Yameen three days before the second round of the presidential polls on November 16 last year. In the first round revote, Gasim had finished in third place with 23.37 percent of the vote.

However, the JP’s coalition agreement with the PPM was severed by the latter after Gasim stood for the post of parliament speaker.

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No fall back for disaster of this magnitude: President Yameen

President Abdulla Yameen has spoken to the public for the first time regarding the Malé water crisis, saying that there could have been no fall back plan for such a crisis.

“We did not have any fall back plan for any disaster of this magnitude. However, we have done extremely hard work to try and bring the situation back to normal,” said the president.

Remarking that the extremely low odds of such an incident occurring had prevented the state-owned Malé Water and Sewerage Company from making plans to deal with the current situation.

Yameen said that five of the nine panel boards at the MWSC had now been fully repaired, estimating that the relief effort would cost US$20m million.

The Maldives’ capital was plunged into crisis on Thursday (December 4) as a fire at MWSC gutted the desalination plant, leaving 130,000 people without running water, leading to the dwindling of bottled drinking water supplies .

“I am not trying to make any excuses for the disaster at MWSC but the company was formed in the early 1980s. The design of the company and the water demand has changed with the population increase in Male.”

“There should be no difficulties with obtaining drinking water. However, there are problems with getting water for washing up and cleaning for people in high rise buildings,” said Yameen.

Large amounts of fresh water have been supplied via a number of international donors, who were thanked by the president.

“I would like to point out that even after some very difficult times for the foreign relations of the country, many nations are aiding the country in this heart wrenching time.”

The government will look into various ways to prevent such an occurrence maybe by dividing up the water grid by wards.”

Meanwhile, members of the president’s task force have told local media that the problem could not be fixed within a “politically desirable” timeframe.

In an interview with Haveeru, Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim said that it would take two weeks to completely recover from the crisis, saying that 50 percent of this would be achieved by the end of the week.

Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr Mohamed Shainee said that, while MWSC has utilised a backup plan after the fire, a completely foolproof system was financially prohibitive.

“If we were to look for a 100 percent foolproof system, it would need to be built far from MWSC – in another area.  This occurred within one year this government came into power. We had been preparing for water security,” Shainee told Haveeru.

Minister at the President’s Office Mohamed Hussain Shareef told Minivan News earlier that the residents of Malé consumed around 14,000 metric tonnes of water a day, with the fully functioning plant able to produce around 20,000 tonnes.

The Maldives National Defence Force, working alongside volunteers from the public and civil society, continues to distribute water brought from abroad and from desalination plants on nearby islands.

Bangladesh became the latest country to announce it would send naval vessels with fresh water and desalination capacity, following the arrival of two Indian ships as well as the expected arrival of the Chinese navy.

The INS Deepak was the latest Indian ship to arrive, with 800 tonnes of water and the capacity to desalinate 200 tonnes per day. Deepak’s arrival follows ten Indian aircraft which have brought regular supplies of fresh water since Friday.

The Maldivian Red Crescent today received the first shipment of 5 tonnes of fresh water today, while the UN in Maldives has said that 180 tonnes stored under its premises in Malé requires treatment before it can be handed to the public.


Related to this story

Government seeks US$20 million in donations to repair Malé’s desalination plant

President Yameen to return to Maldives as water crisis enters third day

Indian aircraft arrives to ease Malé water crisis

Nasheed calls for inquiry into MWSC fire

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MDP calls on the government to hand power to JP leader Gasim

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called on the government to hand over power to Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim in light of recent events.

At the party’s emergency national council meeting, the council agreed to support a decree brought forward by former president Mohamed Nasheed urging the government changeover.

“The country is under a very dark cloud at the moment,” said former President Nasheed. “The president is not fulfilling presidential duties and ruling in absentia. So it is better for him to handover governance to Gasim Ibrahim.”

While presenting the decree to the members of the national council, Nasheed said that the government had failed in ensuring basic necessities for the people of the country and that President Abdulla Yameen should handover the government to Gasim since he was able to secure almost the same amount of votes in the first round of the 2013 presidential elections.

Gasim polled third twice in last year’s presidential elections – successfully requesting the first vote be annulled before again finishing behind Yameen and Nasheed in a rescheduled poll. Gasim eventually threw his support behind Yameen, forming a coalition that saw the latter win the presidency before relations soured earlier this year.

Nasheed highlighted the lack of a presidential response during the ongoing Malé water crisis saying that the president was nowhere to be seen.

As the MDP council was meeting, President Yameen briefed the public for the first time on the water crisis.

When about the MDP council decision, Yameen responded by saying that the governance of the country is handed over by the people, saying: “I do not pay much attention to such talk by Nasheed.”

“I would like to respond by saying that the shares of this country was sold to foreigners. I raised my voice against this as a member of the parliament. The question of handing governance will come when the presidential seat is empty,” said Yameen.

The former president also noted the growing insecurity amongst citizens, with an increase in gang violence, while saying that the government has done very little to curb these crimes.

“There has been 7 murders so far this year. While there has been overall 20 stabbing incidents there has also been cases of 6 people taken as hostages,” detailed Nasheed.

The early hours of this morning saw the most recent death in gang-related violence with a 28-year-old man being stabbed to death by group of men.

Police have denied any arrests related to the death although local media report that 10 men have been arrested related to the violence.

While discussing the decree before voting, MDP Rozaina Adam said that it is unclear who is really in charge of the government at the moment and that the president should step down if he is unable to fulfill his presidential duties.


Related to this story

28-year-old man stabbed to death in gang-related violence

No fall back for disaster of this magnitude: President Yameen

MDP condemns insecurity as PPM celebrates peace and order

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Housing ministry extends period for accepting application forms for home ownership programme

The Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure has decided to extend the period for submitting application forms for the government’s home ownership – or ‘Gedhoruverikan’ – programme.

In a press release today, the ministry announced that members of the public issued tokens to submit application forms on Sunday and Monday could do so from December 9 to 31.

President Abdulla Yameen has declared a two-day government holiday following the disruption to the capital’s water supply caused by a fire at the Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) last week.

Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz revealed last month that 8,700 people had submitted application forms for the housing programme while tokens have been issued to a further 17,000.

The government announced the ‘Gedhoruverikan’ social housing scheme, to provide flats for citizens of the capital and finance for construction in the atolls, in February.

Photo by: Nattu Adnan

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Government seeks US$20 million in donations to repair Malé’s desalination plant

Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim has said foreign aid will be sought as repairs to Malé’s water desalination plant are expected to cost US$20 million.

Speaking at a press briefing of the president’s task force this morning, Nazim called for donations, revealing that US$1.5 million had already been received.

Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has revealed that an unnamed Saudi donor had already gifted US$1 million, while discussions with the Saudi, Qatari, and Kuwaiti governments were ongoing.

Government offices and schools remain closed in the capital today as the water crisis – caused by a fire at the Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) last week – enters its third day.

As foreign aid continues, government officials have assured there is sufficient water supplies, although difficulties remain in transmitting the limited supplies being produced by the MWSC to all 130,000 inhabitants.

“Because Malé is so congested, larger quantities and higher pressure is needed to reach higher floors,” Minister at the President’s Office Mohamed Hussain Shareef told Minivan News, assuring that the situation would continue to improve despite being a “logistical nightmare”.

Up to two of the MWSC’s nine reverse osmosis plants have been restored, he explained, although the need for custom built replacements were causing delays.

“Every time we fix a panel, more water is getting pumped into the bore hole. We have been withholding some in order to build pressure.”

“Unfortunately, the capital is so big that until we repair the panels, there is no way we can provide 24hr running water,” said Shareef.

Defence Minister Nazim told the media that water will turned on between 10pm and 12am this evening, with new panels expected to arrive from Singapore on Wednesday.

Emphasising the scale of the problem, Shareef said that the plant normally produces 20,000 metric tonnes per day, of which 80 percent is consumed.

MWSC had one day’s worth of supplies at the time of the fire, he explained, directing further enquiries regarding contingency plans to the company, which was not responding to calls at the time of publication.

Asked about the cause of the fire, Shareef said that eyewitness accounts had suggested an electrical problem, although forensic teams were still investigating.

Aid efforts continue

Shareef applauded the efforts of citizens of Malé, rubbishing reports of violence and unrest carried in the international media.

“When something happens here, people work together – there is a spirit of camaraderie,” he continued. “ Even the boy scouts are helping”.

As health authorities release information for the safe use of water, Shareef assured that all donated water was being checked: “At the moment, there are no health risks at all”.

The Maldives National Defence Force – which continues to distribute water between 2pm and 6pm today – has explained that water is available from 27 ‘mobile points’ as well as the capital’s ten designated distribution centres.

“The mobile points are mainly aimed at bakeries, restaurants, and places serving food, but can be accessed by the general public also,” explained Spokesman Major Hussain Ali.

The Ministry of Health yesterday urged Maldivians to eat food prepared at home during the crisis, while many restaurants in the capital have begun to offer reduced menus on disposable plates.

Information distributed by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) told people to only drink water that has been boiled or filtered – particularly rainwater – warning that well-water was not recommended for drinking or cooking.

Bottled water should be used only for drinking, with alternative sources used for hygiene and other purposes the HPA continued.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission has revealed that INS Deepak – carrying 800 tonnes of fresh water, with the capacity to produce 200 tonnes of fresh water per day – is expected in Malé later today.

As of yesterday evening, Indian aircraft have provided just under 300 tonnes of water while INS Sukanya arrived on Friday (December 5). The tenth Indian plane arrived with a further 38 tonnes this afternoon.

Speaking with local media this weekend, Indian High Commisioner Rajeev Shahare said: “We’re always there for the Maldives and we shall always be”.

The Friendship Association of India-Maldives released a statement yesterday thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India for their “timely assistance”.

“The swift and prompt assistance further reiterates the time-tested, all-weather friendship between the people of our two brother Nations,” read the press release.

Sri Lanka and China have also provided fresh water supplies since the crisis began, with the latter also reported to have donated US$500,000 to MWSC.

Additionally, the Bangladeshi High Commission in Malé has told Minivan News that a naval vessel carrying 100 tonnes of fresh water from Chittagong is expected to reach Malé on Thursday (December 11). The ship also has reverse osmosis facilities.


Related to this story

President Yameen to return to Maldives as water crisis enters third day

Indian aircraft arrives to ease Malé water crisis

Malé water supply cut after fire at MWSC

Nasheed calls for inquiry into MWSC fire

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Four-year-old victim of accident in Malé dies

A four-year-old victim of a dangerous accident that occurred in the capital Malé yesterday (December 6) has died while undergoing treatment for injuries, police have confirmed.

The four-year-old boy was among five people injured when a pickup driving down Majeedhee Magu – the capital’s main thoroughfare – crashed into three parked motorcycles and a car as well as three motorcycles driving in the opposite direction.

The victims of the accident included two men and two women, who were immediately taken to the ADK hospital for treatment. The driver of the pickup was meanwhile taken into police custody.

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28-year-old man stabbed to death in gang-related violence

A 28-year-old was stabbed to death in the capital Malé in the early hours of this morning (December 7) near the People’s Majlis.

Local media identified the man as Ahmed Mafaz also known as ‘Masodi Mafaa’ from Seenu Maradhoo Island. Haveeru reported Mafaz as belonging to the Masodi gang.

A Maldives Police Service (MPS) media statement read that Mafaz died at ADK hospital while being given emergency treatment for numerous stab wounds including fatal cuts in his neck and shoulders.

An MPS official told Minivan News that the stabbing case was reported to the police at around 1.45am and that the police officers at the scene took Mafaz to the hospital after stopping a taxi on the street.

An eyewitness told online news outlet Vaguthu that he saw two men stabbing and beating up Mafaz near the Alora furniture store while another group of people wielding machetes and other sharp weapons were banging on door of  a building used by the Masodi gang’s nearby, threatening to kill everyone inside.

Haveeru commented that the injuries appeared to be even more severe than those inflicted upon Ungoofaaru MP Dr Afrasheem Ali, whose brutal murder shocked the Maldives in October 2012.

In a tweet today, former President Mohamed Nasheed accused the President Abdulla Yameen’s government of failing to investigate violent crimes.

“Over 20 cases of knife attacks and 7 murdered in such attacks this year. President Yamin’s Govt has failed to investigate these crimes,” read the tweet

While speaking at a rally held to celebrate the first anniversary of the current government, President Yameen said that his administration has established peace and order in the country.

“We have peace and order in Malé and all regions of Maldives. We have peace. However, this is not to say that isolated and significant dangerous crimes do not occur,” said President Yameen.

“Saving the Maldives from these big atrocities is the biggest aim of this government,” he added.

He also pledged to implement the death penalty – reintroduced under his government – for the sake of human rights and dignity.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has expressed concern over rising insecurity while claiming that the current administration has failed to protect right to life and security during its first year in office.

The MDP highlighted Yameen’s failure to find missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan. An investigation into the disappearance by a UK based private investigation firm concluded that radicalised gangs were the most likely suspects in his disappearance.

Meanwhile, ruling Progressive Party of Maldives have submitted amendments to the law prohibiting possession of dangerous weapons – a move which some civil society groups say violates constitutional rights such as the right to remain silent and to retain legal counsel.

A joint statement by Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) urged the parliament to withhold from passing the amendments saying that it would “absolutely violate rather than limit fundamental rights of the people”.

The amendment bill states that suspects arrested for assault with sharp objects or dangerous weapons will not be able to exercise the right to remain silent “to any extent”.

Police could also question the suspect if he or she is either unable to have an attorney present within six hours, or waives the right to retain legal counsel.

Moreover, the suspect could only consult a lawyer in the presence of a police officer for the first 96 hours after the arrest.

The government’s intention to narrow constitutional rights came after a spate of violent assaults in the capital – which police said were a series of gang reprisals.

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