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MPs oppose limiting presidential prerogative on appointing Police Commissioner

Several MPs yesterday objected to a clause in proposed legislation for a new Maldives Police Service Act limiting presidential prerogative to appoint the Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, during preliminary debate on the bill (Dhivehi) submitted by Independent MP for Kulhudhufushi South Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed.

While all MPs supported the 137-page legislation as a whole, most MPs insisted that the presidential prerogative to appoint the Commissioner of Police should remain unchanged and that the head of police should answer to the commander-in-chief.

The bill

Presenting the draft legislation to parliament, MP Nasheed said he sought to “restrict the role of the Home Minister over police” by limiting the minister’s powers.

The Home Minister’s role would be limited to entrusting responsibilities to police for achieving “strategic requirements” or objectives pledged by the ruling party’s manifesto, as well as providing necessary resources and monitoring the implementation of “instructions concerning the main policies and objectives for developing and strengthening the institution”.

“The minister should not state how particular investigations should proceed and interfere in such matters,” he said. “Police should be provided the operational independence or operational autonomy to do police work.”

The bill would also provide new powers over police to the parliament’s Security Services Committee (241 committee) and the Prosecutor General, he added.

Under the proposed procedure for appointing a Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, senior officers from the executive command would themselves apply for the post or propose colleagues, after which the Home Minister would submit their names for evaluation by the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) and the police professional command unit.

Based on the reports by the PIC and professional command, the minister would then take a vote on the chosen candidate among senior officers of the executive command through secret ballot.

The Home Minister could only propose a nominee to the President if he or she is approved by “a majority of the total number of members of the police executive service.”

Moreover, the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner would be appointed for a four-year term.

“Revolutionary change”

As all powers currently exercised by police were derived from a regulation formed under one article of the existing Police Act, Nasheed said one of the purposes of the new law was to ensure that all powers vested in police were derived from specific articles in the law.

“These are not just one or two amendments to the Police Act currently in force. These are basic changes to everything in the Police Act from cover to cover,” MP Nasheed said.

Nasheed said MPs and the major political parties had the choice to leave the police service in its current form or “modernise” the institution in light of past experiences.

Police was the one institution that came under the fiercest criticism during the reigns of Presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Mohamed Nasheed and Dr Mohamed Waheed, the MP said.

He added that the new law was intended to “bring fundamental, revolutionary change” to the institution.

If passed, the new law would come into effect on November 11, 2013, which would be the end of the five-year presidential term that began on November 11, 2008 and the ostensible date for the swearing-in of a newly-elected president.

Debate

During yesterday’s debate, MPs from both the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and parties in the ruling coalition objected to the proposed procedure for appointing the head of police.

Jumhooree Party (JP) MP for Kaafu Atoll Kaashidhoo, Abdulla Jabir, warned that the police service could become “a small government” if the president could not directly appoint and dismiss the Commissioner of Police.

“If not, wouldn’t that be like riding a horse without a saddle?” he asked.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP for Thaa Atoll Thimararushi, Adam Ahmed Shareef, concurred that the executive or parliament should have the power to appoint the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner

“My proposal is that the highest authority in the police, that is the Commissioner of Police, should be appointed, in my view, with parliamentary approval after a nomination by the President,” he said, adding that the President should have to seek parliamentary approval for removing the commissioner.

MDP MP for Faafu Bilehdhoo Ahmed Hamza meanwhile objected to the procedure specified in the bill for dismissing a Police Commissioner – which was in effect a no-confidence vote by senior officers.

Hamza contended that the bill “mixes up the three powers” as it was unclear whether the President, parliament or Prosecutor General would answer on behalf of police.

He added that turning the Home Minister into a “symbolic” official was “unacceptable” as ministers in the executive should be accountable to the public.

Contrary to most MPs’ belief that the proposed reforms would free police from undue political influence, Hamza argued that the institution would become more politicised when its chief could be removed through “an election.”

“The Commissioner of Police should be answerable to the Home Minister and the Home Minister should be answerable to the President,” he said.

However, Hamza said the bill should be accepted and amended during the committee stage.

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Committee decision on secret ballot overturned

Parliament’s Counsellor General Fathmath Filza has informed the General Affairs Committee that a decision to approve an amendment to the parliamentary rules of procedure was void as the meeting where it was voted through last week took place in violation of the rules.

An anonymous member of the committee told Sun Online yesterday that the committee meeting last week took place in the absence of both the chair and deputy chair.

The issue had to be tabled in the committee’s agenda again, the anonymous MP explained.

The meeting on October 23 was presided over by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ali Azim while the amendment was reportedly voted through by four MPs of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The former ruling party has a majority on the General Affairs Committee.

The amendment to the rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot was proposed by MDP MP Mohamed Shifaz after a similar amendment was withdrawn by Independent MP Ahmed Amir, who is also deputy chair of the committee.

The committee’s chair is DRP MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem.

The amendment to parliament’s standing orders or rules of procedure would have to be approved in a vote at the Majlis floor to become official.

The MDP has submitted no-confidence motions against both Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

While a minister can be removed from his post through a simple majority of the 77 MPs in parliament, a two-thirds majority or 52 votes would be needed to impeach the president.

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Dhiraagu disconnects phone lines from Laamu Gan Regional Hospital

Local telecom provider Dhiraagu has disconnected the phone lines of Laamu Gan Regional Hospital over an unpaid bill of MVR 600,000 (US$38,910) owed for setting up a network at the hospital’s new building, reports Haveeru.

Fathmath Barriya, head of the regional hospital, told the newspaper yesterday that the hospital was now unable to use its phone or fax and that Laamu residents were unable to call the ambulance number.

She explained that construction of the new building was completed on June 2011 and Dhiraagu had billed the hospital at the time.

Asked for help, the Health Ministry had instructed the hospital to settle the bill from its budget through monthly instalments, Barriya said. However, she added that the hospital did not have funds in its budget to pay the outstanding amount.

Dhiraagu has informed the hospital that the phone line would be connected when it submits an assurance in writing to settle the bill in monthly payments, she said.

She further noted that although the ministry made the contract with Dhiraagu, the former head of the hospital signed it. Employees involved in the project insisted that the ministry was supposed to pay for the project, she said.

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PPM moves into former DRP head office

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) have moved into the former head office of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) at the Henveiru Themaa house on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, in front of the stage at the artificial beach in Male’.

PPM Interim Deputy Leader and MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla told newspaper Haveeru that the official opening of the office would take place today (Thursday).

A press conference was held by PPM at its new office yesterday.

While the blue of DRP has been painted over in recent weeks by the magenta of PPM, the party’s logo was also put up outside the building.

The PPM was formed in October 2011 following a year-long split within the DRP and a public spat between former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and DRP Leader and MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.

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STO, MTCC release third quarter earnings

The State Trading Organisation (STO) made a net profit of MVR104 million (US$6.7 million) in the third quarter of 2012.

According to STO’s income statement for the quarter that ended on September 30, the government company’s turnover was MVR 1.8 billion (US$117 million) while it made an operating profit of MVR 187 million (US$12 million).

Operating profit for 2012 so far stands at MVR 345.5 million (US$22 million).

Meanwhile, the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) reported a profit of MVR 3.8 million (US$246,433) after taxes.

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New deputy prosecutor general appointed

Prosecutor General (PG) Ahmed Muizz has appointed Deebanaz Fahmy as his new deputy following the resignation of former Deputy Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem.

Newspaper Haveeru reported yesterday that Deebanaz, formerly an attorney at the PG office, is the daughter of Assistant Prosecutor General Ahmed Hameed Fahmy.

An official from the PG office told the newspaper that Deebanaz has been working in prosecution for nine years.

Former Deputy PG Hussain Shameem confirmed to Minivan News earlier this month that he had left his post as Deputy Prosecutor General in order to pursue further education in the United Kingdom.

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Man sentenced to two year’s banishment for stealing RAM from mother’s computer

The Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced a man to two years banishment for stealing two pieces of RAM from his mother’s computer.

According to the Criminal Court, Ahmed Arushad, of Male’ municipality special register 5269, confessed to stealing the memory chips from his mother Waleedha Abdulla’s computer at Henveiru Madhoshimaage on January 7, 2012.

The court noted that this was Arushad’s second conviction and banished him under article 131(a) of the penal code.

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Parliament rejects resolution on MVR 300 million BML loan

Parliament yesterday rejected 27-17 a resolution submitted by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ahmed Sameer calling for an inquiry into the government borrowing MVR 300 million (US$19.5 million) from the Bank of Maldives.

The loan was obtained without parliamentary approval as required by the Public Finance Act.

The government had previously told local media the the BML loan was borrowed instead of US$65 million loan programme previously approved by the Majlis for budget support, and contended that further approval from parliament was therefore not required.

However, Counsellor General Fathmath Filza told the Finance Committee that the US$65 million loan was only to be borrowed from foreign lenders and that the government has to seek parliamentary approval before borrowing from a local bank as per the Public Finance Act.

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Bank of Maldives net profit for 2012 rises to MVR 200 million

The net profit of the Bank of Maldives Plc Ltd (BML) for 2012 has reached over MVR 200 million (US$13 million) by the end of the third quarter.

In a press release yesterday, BML revealed that the net profit in the third quarter of 2012 was was MVR 161 million, MVR 121 million up from previous quarter.

“By end of Q3 operating profit reached MVR 402.7M, an increase of 30% over the same period last year. Net Interest Income increased from 333.6M in Sep 2011 to 372.8M in the 9 months to Sep 2012. This is a 12 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

“Deposits grew over MVR 306 million from the same period last year, a reflection of continued strong deposit growth. Deposit as of the end of the quarter was MVR 7.6 billion compared to MVR 7.3 billion a year ago,” the press release noted.

“Our solid financial performance and extremely strong liquidity position ensure that the bank continues to be well positioned,” said Peter Horton, MD & CEO of Bank of Maldives. “The strong growth on our net profit is a testament to the efforts of our entire team and our ability to adapt to ever-changing market conditions.”

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