Author: Ahmed Nazeer

‘Saima’ in Thilafushi for refurbishment, says MNDF

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader Ilham Ahmed has filed a case with the Anti-Corruption Commision accusing President Mohamed Nasheed of giving a presidential speedboat to a personal friend, claiming the vessel ‘Saima’ was missing. Several media outlets carried the allegations yesterday.

In response the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) issued a two-paragraph press release today stating that the boat was at Thilafushi for refurbishment.

Media carried Ilham’s allegations that the boat was given to Mohamed Rageeb of Gaadhifushi in Thaa Atoll, and was now in Gaadhifushi being used for business purposes such as ferrying.

Speedboats formerly used by the president’s office were handed over to the MNDF for the official trips of senior government officials.

”When the MNDF received the speed boats from the president’s office, there was no speedboat named ‘Saima’ included,” said the MNDF in a statement. ”As far as the MNDF is concerned the speedboat ‘Saima’ is now at Thilafushi, in hands of Apollo Holdings company for refurbishment.”

The MNDF also published a picture of a speedboat which they said was a picture of the controversial ‘Saima’ boat, taken a day ago while it was in Thilafushi.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News that the allegations were “made up deliberately to smear the respect and dignity of the President.”

”I must say that the opposition’s political actions are going to a desperate level if they are making up false allegations,” said Zuhair. ”Anyone can go and see that the ‘Saima’ boat is in Thilafushi for refurbishment.”

Zuhair said that if there was a similar vessel in Gaadhifushi, it was not the same one.

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Police arrest 14 in massive Facebook nude photo blackmail ring

Police have arrested 14 persons including a minor for alleged involvement in blackmailing people after acquiring nude pictures and videos of them through Facebook.

”We have been investigating this issue since it came to light two months ago,” said police in a statement. ”Police conducted a special operation from February 13-20, 2011 in an effort to stop this crime, present the criminals before the court.”

Police said 10 of the 14 alleged perpetrators were arrested in Addu while four of them, including a 17 year old minor, were caught in Male’. According to police all persons arrested in Addu were between the age of 21-26.

Police discovered “hundreds of nude pictures and videos of Maldivians” in the laptops and external hard drives of those arrested, police said.

”While some of the pictures were taken of people while drunk, other pictures were taken without the consent of the persons.”

Police also said they had noticed that some people in the videos were performing explicit acts in the presence of minors, and warned that this “could affect the future and discipline of the minors”.

”The case relates to the rights of many citizens and affects the social policy of the Maldives, and may also affect the safety of the society,” said police.

Information gathered so far had revealed that people from all levels of Maldivian society were affected, “including underage females juveniles, young women, professional and semi-professional persons, and people of both genders working all across the country.”

Police appealed to Maldivians to be more careful approving friendships with strangers on social networks.

”It is notable that underage females are victims in this crime, and that a minor was arrested as a suspect. It is necessary that parents monitor the work of minors when they use internet and social networks,” said police.

Two Facebook profiles identified as being involved in the ring where those belonging to ‘Lyshiaa Limanom’ and ‘Angelic Sharrown’. Both of these profiles show the same picture of a young blonde woman wearing sunglasses, and each profile has between 1200-1300 Facebook ‘friends’ – most of them Maldivian.

Police warned Maldivians to be careful of receiving invitations and messages from these profiles.

Social media adoption in the Maldives is prodigious, particularly Facebook, with almost a third of the country’s population signed up to the service. According to statistics from Facebook, the Maldives has 89,460 registered users – two thirds of whom are male. Almost half Maldivian Facebook users are aged under 18.

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Maldivian students banding together in Christchurch after quake strikes New Zealand city

The Foreign Minister is in communication with Maldivians in Christchurch, New Zealand, after an earthquake measuring 6.3 of the Richter scale the city killing at least 65 people, toppling buildings, buckling roads and damaged cathedrals with further casualties likely.

CNN quoted New Zealand Prime Minister John Key saying “this may be New Zealand’s darkest day,” during a trip to the area to survey the damage from the quake.

”Frantic rescuers scrambled to reach those trapped in the rubble hours after the earthquake struck. Scores of dazed, bleeding residents wandered streets strewn with debris and chunks of concrete,” said CNN.

“Having experienced received the warm reception of the people of Christchurch at the Partnership Forum only hours before the earthquake struck makes this disaster all the more personal and poignant,” said delegate Donald Manzullo, chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, reported CNN.

New Zealand’s transit authority said it had been unable to reach its staff in Christchurch and at the Lyttleton Tunnel, which is near the epicenter.

A person who witnessed the incident told CNN “it felt like I was running on jelly, we saw a giant rock tumble to the ground from a cliff – a rock that had been there for millennia. It fell on the RSA (Returned Services Association, a veterans’ association) building — it was terrifying.”

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker told Radio New Zealand that the rumbling tossed him across the room. He said the streets were jammed as people tried to get out of the city, and urged people to avoid the water supply.

The New Zealand Police have said that ”Sixty five people are so far believed to have lost their lives in today’s 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch and officials warn this figure is likely to rise.”

Emergency services are continuing to search the central city, particularly the high rise buildings in the central business district, many of which have been extensively damaged, said New Zealand Police on their website.

The Lyttelton raod tunnel road that links the city Christchurch and its seaport, was immediately closed after the earthquake, but was opened later for emergency transportation.

Minivan News spoke to a Maldivian who was recently studying in New Zealand, who said that none of the approximately 30 Maldivians living in the city had been hurt.

”I checked today and no Maldivian was injured during the incident,” he told Minivan News.

A Maldivian studying at Christchurch Polytechnic in the middle of the city told newspaper Haveeru that she ran down the stairs from the fourth floor classroom she was about to enter when the earthquake struck.

“There was dust and smoke billowing from the buildings around, and I saw injured people running. In the midst of the devastation I had to walk back home, which took more than one and a half hours. I was so concerned about my son, as he was home alone,” she said.

Haveeru also reported that some Maldivian families are without water and power, “which would lead them to spend the night without heating, and in cold in a city where the temperature is constantly about 12 degree Celsius.”

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EC condemns remarks made by Dr Munawar after formation of new party fails

The Elections Commission (EC) of the Maldives has strongly condemned remarks made by Former Attorney General Dr Mohamed Munawar, after the commission said not enough people had attended the formation of his ‘Reform Movement’ party for it to be registered.

The dispute between the Elections Commission and Dr Munawar occurred after commission members appeared at a meeting held at Villa College by Dr Munawar to establish his new political party.

The formative meeting of the party required the attendance of a minimum of 300 members in order to meet the regulatory requirements for the establishment of a political party. Dr Munavar said canceled the meeting and the new party was not formed.

The Elections Commission said in a statement that ”although Dr Munavar claimed that the meeting to form his party had to be canceled when the commission members attended the meeting, the meeting must be attended by a minimum of 300 person according to Political Party Regulations 2005, 8[c]. The number of people who attended the meeting was less than 140.”

The Commission said that the meeting began the with the Quran recitation after it was announced that the legally-mandated number of people were present. But while the meeting was ongoing it was called off by Dr Munavar himself, saying that the legal number of members were not present.

”It is a responsibility of the Elections Commission to ensure that at least 300 members attend a meeting before a political party is recognised,” the Elections Commission said.

Dr Munavar later criticised the Commission’s conduct of the recent local council elections, telling VTV that the elections were held against the constitution.

The Commission said that Dr Munavar’s remarks were intended disregard the commission and smear its respect and dignity.

Dr Munavar was a former president of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) prior to his resignation. He has been absent from politics until recently.

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New councilors to take oath of office on Saturday

Councilors who have won seats on newly formed island and atoll councils are scheduled to take their oath of office on the morning of Saturday February 26, the Home Ministry has announced.

The ministry said that the oath-taking ceremonies will be held in all areas where the Elections Commission have announced the official results.

”The Island Councils will hold the ceremony in their respective islands and atolls, and councilors will take the oath in the capital island of each respective atoll,” said the Home Ministry.

Councilors of Male’ City will take the oath in Male’ and Addu City councilors will take the oath in Hithadhu, the Home Ministry added.

The Ceremony will commence at 9:00am in the morning and the Home Ministry has invited citizens to attend Saturday’s ceremonies “in the spirit of national unity.”

Meanwhile, the elections commission has announced the official results of almost all divisions except for the Council of Kela in Haa Alifu Atoll and other division where candidates got equal votes.

Following the election on February 5, the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) won a clear seat majority while the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) won control of the major population centres. The MDP calculated that the popular vote was 44 percent – 40 percent in its favour, but the EC has not confirmed this figure. Full breakdowns of the available results are available on the Elections Commission website.

Kela results were delayed according a High Court order after complaints were filed regarding the elections procedures.

Candidates uneducated

Islanders in at least one division have expressed concern that most of the elected councilors were not capable of handling such positions of responsibility.

One islander from the central region of the Maldives told Minivan News that on his island, only two of the five elected councilors have finished their GCE O’Levels.

”Because they ran as candidates for the seats under different parties, supporters of those parties have voted for them for the sake of promoting their party,” he said. ”Votes were not made with consideration for how educated the candidate is, or how capable the person, just by what political party he belongs to.”

He noted that the councilors will therefore follow the orders of their parties regardless of whether they were beneficial or harmful to their own island.

”For instance, if a foreign party were interested in developing our island, there is no way some councils could deal with it because they don’t even understand English very well,” he said. ”It would be the islanders who will have to suffer, I don’t think people really considered [candidates’] educational background or their capability.”

Recently Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali told Minivan News many successful candidates in the local council election remained unaware of their new responsibilities, or even of the mandate of a local council.

“It is a fact that candidates from many parties including ours may not be clear on their responsibilities and mandates,” he told Minivan News.

All the councilors will take over the the administration of their respective island and atoll offices following the oath Saturday.

The new structure of island and atoll councils is meanwhile expected to cost the Maldivian state an extra Rf 173 million (US$13.5 million) a year, a figure that has raised concerns among international financial donors such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The President of every island council will receive a salary and allowance of Rf 15,000 (US$1160), council members Rf 11,000 (US$850). The mayor of Male’ will receive Rf 45,000 (US$3500).

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Minor arrested for allegedly brewing alcohol

A 17 year-old boy has been arrested on the island of Hithadhu in Laamu Atoll for allegedly brewing alcohol.

Police Sergent Abdul Muhusin told Minivan News that the minor had been now released after being questioned about the alleged incident.

”Police were informed that a group were brewing alcohol in a place, but when police officers attended the area nobody was  there,” he said. “However materials that were supposedly used to ferment alcohol were discovered in the area,”

Staff at the island office told Minivan News that it was the first case of brewing alcohol that was reported to have occurred in the island.

”I heard that some substances were added to an empty bottle and cooked,” he said. ”They did it in the forest in an area that is half a mile away from an area where people live.”

He said that group of islanders knew about the incident and reported it to police.

”They have a list of persons that are allegedly involved in brewing the alcohol – most of them minors,” he said.

Recently, police have reported a number of similar incidents where persons were arrested on suspicion that they were brewing alcohol.

Last December, police arrested two brothers in Gan of Laamu Atoll on suspicion that they were allegedly brewing alcohol inside a kitchen.

Materials that can be used to brew alcohol were discovered inside the kitchen, police claimed at the time.

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Shaheem calls for studies in comparative religion at National University

Former State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has written an article calling for studies in comparative religion to be included in courses at the Islamic Faculty of the recently inaugrated National University.

The national university “should be a place that conducts research on issues that the Maldives faces today, especially issues related to human rights, comparative religion, terrorism and the rights of women,” Shaheem wrote in an article (Dhivehi) on the Adhaalath Party’s official website.

Shaheem first floated the idea in April 2010, emphasising that  the subject should not be taught at a secondary level “because [students’] minds are not [yet] prepared to deal with these philosophies.”

However at a university level, “it is very important to research and understand other religions,” said Shaheem. “You will not become an infidel for learning about other religions.”

”At Medina’s University Faculty of Shariah they teach comparative religion as well as at the International Islamic University in Malaysia,” he said. ”Terrorism is a rising issue today, and it is very important to know the difference between terrorism and jihad, and the obligations and reasons for jihad.”

He also said that it was the former government that paved way for the Maldives College of Higher Education to progress to a University.

The National University of the Maldives was inaugurated on February 15 by President Mohamed Nasheed, who appointed former Education Minster Dr Mustafa Luthfy as the university’s first chancellor and presented him with the institution’s seal.

The last time to the topic of comparative religion was raised in the Maldives, Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Hussein Rasheed told Minivan News the party would not support the prospect until an understanding of the basic principles of Islam were strengthened. will not support the study of comparative religion in the Maldives until understanding of the basic principles are strengthened.

While he did not disagree with it in principle, Rasheed said that before introducing comparative religion the government should teach Islam in more advanced manner.

President of Jamiyyathul Salaf Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Ibrahim said in April that people should understand Islam comprehensively before comparative religion was introduced.

Sheikh Abdulla said there were some necessary subjects of Islam many people in the Maldives did not yet understand or were not being taught.

”Only a few people understand the ‘Tafsir’ [exegesis] of Quran,” he said, adding that ”knowledge of other religions is already taught in verses of Quran and Hadith.”

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Civil Court orders DRP to pay its Rf 510,497 bill with Island Aviation Services

The Civil Court has ordered the  main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), led by MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, to pay Island Aviation Services Rf 510,497 (US$39,727).

Judge Abdul Sameer gave the party one month to repay the debt.

In June 2010 the DRP was given 13 days by the Civil Court to complete an examination of documentation and invoices from Island Aviation Services, after the party claimed it needed more time and requested an extension.

In the previous hearing held on the case, the DRP’s lawyer appealed for more time to examine the documentation and invoices presented by the national airline. Island Aviation Services had contended that the DRP was trying to delay the payment as long as it could, as there was no dispute that a payment was pending.

Citing Island Aviation Services’ annual audit report, local newspaper Haveeru reported that on August 21, 2008, ahead of the Presidential election, Island Aviation Services provided the DRP a credit limit of Rf 100,000 which was due to be repaid within 15 days.

However, the Rf 100,000 rose to more than Rf 800,000 (US$62,256) and DRP had not paid the balance after four months, Haveeru reported.

DRP MP Ahmed Nihan said today that the party was unable to pay the debt because of “difficulties” relating to its financial condition.

”But the DRP will always follow the courts of law,” said Nihan. ”We have always raised our voice for others to follow the courts, and the DRP [itself] will definitely follow the court [ruling].”

He said that he was unsure about the reason for the delay in settling the debt.

DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali was not responding to calls at time of press.

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Grenade cache found on Dhaalu Atoll

Children playing on the uninhabited island of Kadimma in Dhaalu Atoll yesterday discovered a cache of explosives hidden in the bushes.

Police and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) have not revealed the nature of the explosives, however images in local media revealed the ordinance to be grenades of modern appearance.

The children were attending a picnic on the island when the discovery was made. Following the find, a second group of islanders told radio station SunFM that they found eight such explosives on the island and threw them away.

Police Sergent Abdul Muhusin said the MNDF was investigating the case and that police could not comment on the issue.

MNDF Major Abdul Raheem told SunFM that an expert was now investigating the explosives.

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