Author: Ahmed Nazeer

Adhaalath Party calls on Home Minister to withdraw Deputy Commissioner suspension

The Adhaalath Party (AP) led by Sheikh Hussein Rasheed has called on the country’s Home Minister to immediately withdraw the alleged suspension of Police Deputy Commissioner Mohamed Rishwan after media reports yesterday claimed that he had been punished for not following orders to take control of the Thulusdhoo Atoll Council’s office.

Both Police and Home Minister Hassan Afeef have yet to officially confirm whether reports of the suspension are true, yet politicians have now moved to criticize the alleged decision to reprimand Rishwan.

”We call on Hassan Afeef to leave the military dictatorship characteristics and to follow the feelings of the citizens,” said the Adhaalath Party in statement on their official website.

The reports relate to ongoing disputes between the government and some local councils over the legality of decisions to relocate their offices.

Beyond criticism of Home Minister Afeef, the party also praised Deputy Commissioner Rishwan for having shown “a great example.”

”The courage you [Rishwan] has shown for the sake of the citizens and to uphold the law is something that we will never forget,” said the Adhaalath Party in the statement.

”We call on the police not to let anything happen against the laws.”

Among changes occurring to the country, the Adhaalath Party said the most important of these was the decentralised administration ushered in by last month’s local council elections.

”As a matter of fact, it is a great change, however, the image we saw in some areas were totally different,” said the party. ”Home Minister Afeef has been trying to get police illegally involved in these issues occurring in some areas.”

The party accused the current government of manipulating the police for their own ends and violating human rights and laws.

However, Afeef yesterday told Minivan News that the position of Deputy Commissioner “is not given by me and [the matter] is not related to me.”

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said he could not comment on the issue or confirm whether the reports appearing in local media were true.

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“Best solution” is to let court of law decide relocation controversy, says atoll council

Shaviyani Atoll Council Vice President Mohamed Arif has claimed that newly appointed councilors did not decide to move their administrative office to Funadhoo in Shaviyani Atoll by themselves, but rather they ”decided to do as the laws state.”

During the first meeting of Shaviyani Atoll Council held last Saturday (26 February), it was decided to move their administrative office to Funadhoo from Milandhoo in Shaviyani Atoll.

Arif said that the relocations were based on requirements outlined under national law regarding local councils and that only a superior court should rule on their legality.

However, the Home Ministry has stated that the council did not have the authority to decide where the administrative office will be held on the back of decision by other councilors also deciding to relocate an office based in Maafushi to Thulusdhoo.

Police have today sent officers to surround the Administrative Office in Funadhoo in order ”to watch over the building and any assets in it” according to Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam.

”The councilors are inside the building. We are there to watch over the building,” he said. ”We also appeal everyone to respect the decision of the island court.”

Milandhoo Island court and Funadhoo Island court have each issued warrants regarding the issue.

Milandhoo Court yesterday ruled that the Administrative office of the Council should be in Milandhoo, while Funadhoo Court ruled in favor of having the Administrative Office in Funadhoo, a decision Mohamed Arif has asked police to uphold.

“Police have to respect the two court rulings, why do they have to follow only one ruling,” he said.

Arif added that the police were active in the island wearing full riot gear that he claimed had caused issues such as psychologically affecting children and women on the island.

”Just imagine what it would be like to see a huge police squad in riot gear for small children who have never witnessed something like this,” Arif said.

”They [the police] are not doing anything, they are just waiting outside the Atoll office in Funadhoo.”

Arif said the local council believes that the best way to solve the relocation issue will be to let a superior court of law solve the issue.

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Police refuse to comment on reports of deputy commissioner’s suspension

The Deputy Commissioner of police Mohamed Rishwan has been reportedly suspended for allegedly disobeying an order from Home Minister Hassan Afeef concerning the Thulusdhoo atoll office, reports SunFM.

SunFM reported that the Home Minister ordered police to take over the Atoll Office in Thulusdhoo and that the Deputy Commissioner had refused to do so without a court order.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said he did not want to comment on the issue, and could not confirm whether the report was true.

Afeef told Miniban News that the position of Deputy Commissioner “is not given by me and [the matter] is not related to me.”

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News that he had not yet received the information.

”The police are an independent body,” Zuhair said. ”They work under the law.”

Zuhair recommended Minivan News contact Commissioner of Police for comment, however Ahmed Faseeh was not responding to calls at time of press.

He said that if something like this had occurred, the press office would be informed. “I have not received such information yet,” he said.

Zuhair said the government had decided to file a case in the court to solve the issue in Thulusdhoo, in which the local population have clashed with police over whether Kaafu councilors are permitted to relocate the atoll office to Thulusdhoo. The government has disputed that the councilors have the authority to do so.

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Atoll councilors entered the office by force, allege police

Police have accused Kaafu Atoll councilors of entering the Thulusdho island office without the permission of police, after the Thulusdho island court ordered police to hand over the keys. Police did not comply.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that ”police are still watching over the building. When the councilors entered using force, we did not try to stop them.”

Shiyam said that police have not yet given the keys to the councilors.

”I don’t think anyone gave them the key, so police are active in the area to watch over the assets and valuables inside the building,” he said.

Local media today reported this morning the police were “laying siege” to the Atoll Office in Thulusdho and blocking the entrance, but said later that the building was handed over to the atoll councilors after minor confrontations between police and citizens of Thulusdhoo.

On Saturday, in a council meeting held in the Kaafu Atoll Office in Maafushi, the newly elected Kaafu Atoll councilors decided to move the current Atoll office in Maafushi to its former premises based in Kaafu Atoll, Thulusdhoo.

However, after the decision was made, police confiscated the keys of the former Kaafu Atoll office in Thulushoo and councilors were not allowed to enter. Councilors then requested the island court order police to hand over the keys.

The Court yesterday ordered the police to hand over the keys to the atoll councilors, and also court ordered the police not to obstruct the work of Atoll Councilors.

In a meeting with the press today, Home Minister Hassan Afeef said that the councilors did not have the authority to decide where the council’s office should be located.

”The passed the resolution not after discussing with us,” SunFM quoted Afeef saying. ”There will be no law that gives authority to the council to decide where there office will be located.”

Meanwhile the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has expressed concern over the violence occurred in Thulusdhoo.

HRCM said that the commission was observing the commotion since yesterday and noted that it was “worsening day by day.”

”We call on all the concerned authorities to solve the issue by negotiating,” said the HRCM. ”And we all call on everyone to keep their actions within the law.”

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Thulusdhoo court orders police to give councilors keys to former atoll office

The Island Court of Thulusdhoo has ordered police to hand over the keys of the former Atoll office in Thulusdhoo to councilors immediately.

Yesterday, in a council meeting held in Kaafu Atoll Office in Maafushi, the newly elected Kaafu Atoll councilors decided to move the current Atoll office to its former premises based in Kaafu Atoll, Thulusdhoo.

However, after the decision was made, police confiscated the keys of the former Kaafu Atoll office in Thulushoo and councilors were not allowed to enter. Councilors then requested the island court order police to hand over the keys.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News that the atoll office building in Thulusdhoo “is an asset of the government, so the councilors will have to come to a common understanding with the government if they want to enter the building.”

Shiyam said that police had taken the keys due to a conflict between the government and the newly appointed local council over officially handing over the building.

“The building in question belongs to the government, which therefore has to agree to officially hand it over to the council,” he said. “The situation requires some form of agreement between the two parties and this is what the police have tried to [negotiate].”

Shiyam said that it was waiting for the government and council representatives to come to “some sort of understanding” in order to solve the dispute.

He said he could not comment on whether the police would be obeying the island court order.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said that councilors do not have the authority to decide where the atoll office would be located.

”When this government came in to administration, the atoll office of Kaafu Atoll was located in Thulushdoo, once when the Province state minister visited Thulusdhoo, islanders forced him to leave the island,” Zuhair explained.

”So by presidential decree, President Nasheed moved the atoll office to Maafushi, to locate the atoll office on an island where province state minister could visit.”

Zuhair said that the decision of the Kaafu Atoll councilors “harms the sovereignty of the state.”

”It’s not within their legal power to decide whether they will have the atoll office on an uninhabited island or inside president’s office, only the president has that authority,” he said, adding that ”the atoll councilors will have to report to the atoll office wherever it is located”.

the dispute led to a confrontation between police and citizens of Thulusdhoo, according to the local media, in which both police and islanders were said to have been injured.

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Oath-taking ceremony for 14 councils delayed following High Court injunction

Oath-taking ceremonies for newly elected councilors were held on Saturday, except for those areas where complaints have been filed in the High Court.

The High Court on Thursday ordered that 14 areas were to suspend their oath-taking ceremonies until the High Court conclude cases filed regarding the elections.

Ceremonies scheduled to be held for H.Dh Nolhivaranfaru island council, H.Dh Nolhivaram area Atoll council, N. Miladhoo island council, R. Maduvvari island council, R. Maduvvari Area Atoll council, G. DH Faresmathoda island council, G.Dh Faresmathoda Area Atoll Council, A.Dh Dhangethi island council, A.A Mathiveri island council, A.A Atoll council, L. Atoll council, G.A Vilingili island council,G.A Atoll council and L. Dhambidhoo island council were delayed by order of the High Court.

The Court said if successful candidates in these areas took the oath while a case was pending in court, it violated the rights of those who filed the cases.

In all the other areas, successful candidates took the oath of office in their respective councils on Saturday.

Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has recently said that “thousands” of complaints were received by the party regarding the elections, and also accused the Elections Commission of being partial and unfair, filing such cases in the High Court.

MDP contends that some complaints could potentially change the results of some areas.

President Mohamed Nasheed has meanwhile said that the oath of office for local councillors was “a  historic step towards consolidating decentralisation.”

Speaking during his weekly radio address, Nasheed said that councilors were officially part of the country’s executive branch, and urged them “to work closely with the government to achieve the policy targets set out by the government.”

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Trade Ministry to require English or Dhivehi food labels by June

The Trade Ministry has said that all food items manufactured or imported to the Maldives from June for the purpose of trade should contain information about a product in Dhivehi or English on its packaging.

The new requirements will call for information concerning the ingredients used, the weight or measurements of the finished product, the country and date of origin, shelf-life and instructions on usage to be included on any goods being sold.

”The deadline set for labelling of food items already imported to the Maldives in accordance with the above requirements is 31 May 2011,” said the Trade Ministry in a press release.

The ministry said this announcement was made under Article 12 of Act number 1/96 (Consumer Protection Act) and any business found by officials of violating the ruling will see its owner fined Rf100,000 (US$7843).

”If an imported food item does not include the above information, it should be labelled in English or Dhivehi prior to the trading of the item in any inhabited island of Maldives,” the statement said.

“If any food items are not labelled according to these requirements after 1 June 2011, the owner of the business will be fined up to the amount of Rf100,000.”

The Trade Ministry was unable to comment further on the decision at the time of going to press.

Correction: An earlier headline for this story stated that labels would be required to be dual language. This has been clarified as English or Dhivehi.

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Gaddafi is “a wicked, cruel, evil man”: Former State Islamic Minister

Former State Islamic Minister and member of the Adhaalath Party Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has called on the international community to help stop the “violent inhumane actions” of Muammar-al-Gaddafi.

”Gaddafi is wicked evil man whose cruelty has reached to an extreme level,” said Sheikh Shaheem in a statement. ”He has used excessive force over the citizens of Libya.”

Sheikh Shaheem said that today all the Muslims should pray for the citizens of Libya, ”and should pray that he gets destroyed by his own evil actions.”

Prominent scholars in Palestine, Sudan, Egypt and other religious councils have consistently condemned the actions of Gaddafi, said Sheikh Shaheem.

”Some scholars have permitted [to have] his blood due to his evil actions,” he said. ”And I would like to take this opportunity to assure the citizens of Libya that we are with them.”

He called on the international community on behalf of the Adhaalath Party to help the citizens of Libya.

Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday also called on the international community to “strengthen measures to realise the aspirations of the Libyan people to fundamental rights and freedoms.”

“The right not to be tortured, the freedom to speak your mind, the ability to choose your own government… these liberties are not the preserve of Western nations but universal values to which everyone aspires,” Nasheed said. “These are the forces that are being played out on the streets of Libya and other countries of the Middle East.”

The Foreign Ministry has lost contact with six Maldivians in Libya, although it has not received reports of any injuries.

“We were checking on their condition until yesterday when we were unable to contact them via phone. Their phones would not ring, either,” a Foreign Ministry official told newspaper Haveeru.

“We are trying to contact them and are looking into any possible way that we could contact them through Dhiraagu. We are also trying to contact the Maldivians through an embassy in Libya of a friendly nation.”

The Libyan President yesterday vowed on national television that he will not step down from the country’s leadership, and was ready “to die a martyr.”

Speaking in the third person, Gaddafi said “I am not going to leave this land. I shall remain, defiant. Muammar is leader of the revolution until the end of time.”

US President Barack Obama has meanwhile broken his silence over the Libyan situation and outright condemned Gaddafi’s tactic of using violence against the demonstrators. The US President has sent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Europe to attend a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop,” said President Obama said.

Minivan News has meanwhile obtained a copy of Gaddafi’s ‘Little Green Book’, entitled “The Solution of the Problem of Democracy”, copies of which were reportedly gifted to a generation of Maldivian school students under former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

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Police decline to reveal identities of political figures involved in Facebook nude photo blackmail case

Police have declined to reveal the identities of political figures and government officials involved in the nude photography obtained by Facebook blackmailers.

The blackmailers used a Facebook account pretending to be an attractive blonde woman, and reportedly coerced hundreds of Maldivians to record their nude videos and pictures through their webcam and send it to them. After receiving the pictures and videos, they used them to blackmail the persons involved – many of them believed to be national politicians and senior government officials.

Police discovered explicit videos and pictures of hundreds of Maldivians on the hard drives and laptops of 14 people arrested in connection with the crime earlier this week.

”We are still investigating the case, but so far we cannot reveal the identities of any of those involved,” said a police spokesperson. ”We cannot confirm any names, just not yet. We will be revealing more information later.”

Daily newspaper Haveeru interviewed a person who claimed to have seen some of the material, who said that MPs belonging to both the opposition and the ruling party had fallen for the scam, as well as prominent businessmen and “national figures”.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said that none of the events reportedly depict “would have taken place inside the President’s office.”

”We don’t have Facebook, MSN or any other social networks on any computer of the President’s Office,” Zuhair said. ”It is nothing to do with the government or the president.”

Zuhair added that “for instance there might be torturers among people who build streets, but that does not mean all the street builders are torturers.”

Meanwhile, the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has sent a letter to the President’s Office, calling the president to remove government officials involved in the case from their posts ”or if you do not remove them from their posts it will be taken as meaning that you are supporting such activities.”

The DQP called on the government to take action against those involved “as soon as possible.”

Several blogs have speculated on the names of those caught up in the scandal, but police would not confirm the identities of those compromised.

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