Author: Ahmed Nazeer

MDP might have to “take action” against VTV, warns Reeko Moosa

Parliamentary group leader for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik has threatened “action” against Villa Television (VTV), a TV station owned by leader of the Jumhoory Party (JP) Leader and MP Gasim ‘Buruma’ Ibrahim.

Moosa alleged the channel “repeatedly misleads and broadcasts news in a way that smears respect for MDP, [in such a way] that MDP might have to take action against VTV.”

“Citizens of the Maldives have realized that VTV is not meeting the proper broadcasting standards due to their attempts to discredit MDP, the political party which introduced democracy to the Maldives,” claiming that there were “limitations” on freedom of expression.

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan said it was “typical” of Moosa to attack any media that “does not report the way he likes.”

“Previously when MDP was in the opposition he was against [state broadcaster] Television Maldives, and more than once he attacked the TVM building and its staff,’’ claimed Nihan. ‘’Now MDP is in power, Moosa is against VTV and DhiTV (a private television station).’’

Nihan said there was “only one action” Moosa could take.

‘’He can threaten the government and delay the issuing of a broadcasting license of VTV – I heard their license would expire very soon,’’ he said. “There is no such law that allows him to do that, but that is the only thing he can do.’’

He added that however Moosa attempted otherwise, it would be “impossible for him to bury the media.”

”The reason they hate VTV so much is that it has this TV programme that shows things President Nasheed vowed he would never do but did after coming to power, and some other things he had scheduled to do but failed to deliver on time,” Nihan claimed.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Government decreases sentences of Sultan Park bombers under Clemency Act

The government has confirmed it has commuted the sentences of two of the three convicted terrorists responsible for the 2007 bombing of Sultans Park in Male’, under the Clemency Act.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said the pair, identified by local media as Ahmed Naseer and Mohamed Sobah, were “not granted clemency, but had their sentences decreased.”

The two men had their sentences changed from incarceration to three year suspended sentences under observation.

”Their punishment was delayed by the lawful offering of a suspended punishment,” said Zuhair, indicating that “they will be well observed.”

Naseer and Sobah were convicted for 15 years on charges of terrorism, ”but they were not the people who were in charge of doing this, they did not having the highest involvement,” Zuhair said.

He added that the government wished to “provide an opportunity for everyone to be involved in the society, and the opportunity to rehabilitate and recover.”

The bomb attack near the Sultan Park was the first such incident to occur in the Maldives and received widespread publicity around the globe, damaging the tourism industry.

The incident occurred on September 29 2007 in Sultans Park,  near the Islamic Centre.

The homemade bomb, which consisted of a gas cylinder, a washing machine motor and a mobile phone, injured 12 foreign tourists several seriously.

The tourists hurt included eight from China, two from Britain, and two from Japan.

10 Maldivians and two foreigners were arrested in connection with the case, and in December that year three men confessed in court and were sentenced to 15 years prison.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Judge claims “suspicious issues” with evidence reason for alleged drug lord’s aquittal

Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed has cited “suspicious issues” relating to the evidence presented by the Prosecutor General’s office as reason for the acquittal of Hussein Mohamed.

Hussein was labelled by the government as one of the top six drug dealers in the country, prior to the court finding him innocent of  importing drugs. He was arrested at the airport on April 9, 2009, where police alleged he was awaiting the arrival of a couple carrying a drug shipment.

Judge Mohamed said the evidence presented was inadequate to rule Hussein guilty.

Hussein was the first to be arrested of the six people President Mohamed Nasheed has previously labeled as the top six drug dealers in the country.

Deputy Prosecutor General Hussein Shameem described the verdict as “regrettable”, adding that the PG’s office would consider its options once it received the case report from the court.

The second of the six arrested, Adam Naseer, was also ruled innocent by the Criminal Court after police searched his home in Addu Atoll on June 30, 2009, where they found over Rf6 million (US$461,500) in cash and a tin containing drugs outside his house.

Naseer was arrested several days later on July 2, 2009.  However, the Criminal Court ruled that he was innocent because evidence presented by the Prosecutor General’s office was inadequate, and failed to prove that the money found with Naseer was obtained through drug dealing.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Newsweek labels Nasheed ‘Green Guru’ for climate change work

The second largest weekly magazine in the United States, ‘Newsweek’, has awarded President Mohamed Nasheed the title of ‘green guru’ and placed him second among nine other world leaders who have ‘’won serious respect’’ in different global fields.

“As president of an island nation imperiled by rising sea levels, Mohamed Nasheed has become a hero among environmentalists,’’ said Newsweek. “In the run-up to last year’s United Nations climate-change meeting, Nasheed attracted global attention by hosting a cabinet meeting underwater.’’

The paper said that former Vice President of the US, Al Gore, who is also an environment activist, had taken to quoting President Nasheed on matters relating to the human cost of climate change.

‘’In April, the UN elected [Nasheed] one of six “2010 Champions of the Earth,’’ said the magazine.

Achim Steiner, director of the UN Environment Program, praised Nasheed as a politician who is “showcasing to the rest of the world how a transition to climate neutrality can be achieved and how all nations, no matter how big or small, can contribute.”

Britain’s new Prime Minister, David Cameron, tops the list of ‘best world leaders’ in the political magazine, which has a global circulation of 1.5 million.

Newsweek also names President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, President Lula da Silva of Brazil and President Lee of South Korea in its list of top world leaders.

Image: Newsweek magazine

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police conduct weapon searches after 17 year-old boy stabbed yesterday afternoon

A 17 year-old boy was  stabbed by a group of people near a garage in the Galolhu district of Male’ late yesterday afternoon, before sunset.

According to Police Sub-inspector Ahmed Shiyam  the boy was stabbed twice,  in the arm and shoulders, and was treated at Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

”Due to a rise in gang activity yesterday Maldives Police Services launched a special operation to check people and several areas,” Shiyam said. ”Police were seeking weapons and objects that could potentially be used as weapons.”

Recently another 17 year-old boy was stabbed to death by a group of men during an apparent gang fight.

The boy was stabbed in the leg as he was climbing onto a truck near the Social Centre in Maafannu, and bled to death despite undergoing transfusions at IGMH.

Police statistics for the first six days of Ramadan reveal that 225 criminal cases were recorded. There were 23 cases of assault, 61 cases of theft, three robberies, 22 drug-related cases, one sexual offence, 39 traffic-related cases, three cases of domestic violence, 21 cases of forgery, nine cases of vandalism, three cases of bounced cheques, four cases of embezzlement, 20 cases of lost items and 36 in the category ‘other’.

Comparative statistics between the number of crimes committed in the first three days of Ramadan this year and last year show that a decrease in crime rate in the first three days of Ramadan.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Fiqh academy to reprint an amended version of Quran translation

State Islamic minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said the ministry’s Fiqh academy will reprint an amended version of the Dhivehi translation of the Holy Quran.

“We discovered there were 180 symbols missing in the current translation, and verses of some Surahs were disordered,” Sheikh Shaheem said.

“The current translation was a version made with the assistance of a scholar’s council appointed by the former government, therefore the Fiqh academy will not invalidate the current version, but will rather reprint an amended version,’’ said Sheikh Shaheem.

Shaheem said as Quran was holy it should be well protected.

“If the incorrect version is not amended it could potentially lead to confusion in the long run,’’ he suggested.

In June last year the ministry sent a letter to the president’s office requesting the copyright of the current translation, which is required in order to reprint the translation.

“But the president’s office replied that they could provide us the copyright – it’s funny though, because everything related to religion is supposed to be kept under the Islamic Ministry,’’ Shaheem said. “We do not know when we will be able to start the [reprinting], until we get the copyright.’’

Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair, was unavailable for comment at time of press.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President appoints finance minister as acting tourism minister

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Finance Minister Ali Hashim as the acting tourism minister.

Former Tourism Minister Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad was appointed Attorney General when former Attorney General Husnu Suood resigned, claiming his job was untenable because of parliamentary obstruction. The appointment is awaiting approval of parliament.

President Nasheed has said he will appoint a new tourism minister shortly.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

DQP MP lashes out at parliament’s “insincerity”

Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed has accused parliament of stacking the Supreme Court bench in favour of the two major parties, the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

Rasheed alleged that out of seven judges appointed for Supreme Court, four were appointed in favor of the DRP and People’s Alliance (PA) coalition, while the other three was appointed by the MDP.

‘’I have seen lately that the work of the parliament is divided by the interests of the two main political parties,’’ said Rasheed in yesterday’s parliament session.

Rasheed also complained that Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Shahid had failed to inform MPs that the issue of cabinet ministers’ reappointment was in committee. He cited article number 128 of the parliament’s law, which says that all committee work must be concluded within seven days time and MPs notified.

“My question is, are the cabinet ministers going to be divided like the Supreme Court judges?” Rasheed asked.

He claimed it was already “very difficult for me when I can’t summon ministers.’’

“Are the [reappointments] taking so long because the [cabinet ministers] are not yet divided equally among you?’’ he asked the chamber. ‘’We should be ashamed to criticise the president while our own actions are like this.’’

Rasheed decried the “lack of sincerity” in the parliament.

“During the appointment of the civil service commission members, there was a person who scored the marks, who was supposed to be listed as the third [appointment], but he was listed as the sixth. Where is the sincerity of the parliament?’’ he claimed. “Is it the president who is still wrong?’’

Rasheed added that his patience “has reached its end”, and that he could not wait “see the parliament swallowed by the two main political parties”.

In the silence following Rasheed’s outburst in the chamber, Rasheed said the MPs were silent “because they know I am speaking the truth about parliament.”

“The parliament’s work is unfair,’’ he added.

Shahid replied that he had informed the chair of the committee [examining the reappointment of cabinet ministers] of the committee’s obligation to disclose information, “and have sent a letter as a reminder.”

‘’I assure  all MPs that I would not commit any such act the honorable member has mentioned,” said Shahid.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Legal confusion over local council elections

The government claims to be seeking legal advice concerning issues relating to the local council elections scheduled for October.

The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said there were contradictory definitions mentioned in the decentralisation and local council acts.

For instance, Hulhudhoo and Meedhu in Addu Atoll are considered two different islands and have their own island offices, but both are located on the same land mass.  Under the decentralisation act,  two islands on the same land or in the same lagoon would be considered one island, Zuhair explained.

“But in the local council elections act island offices are [allocated] for every island. As a result, it is now difficult to determine on which islands councils should be established,’’ he said.

Zuhair said the Elections Commission [EC] would try to hold elections on time, regardless to the issues raised.

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom said DRP has already presented a bill to the parliament to resolve the issue.

”We will amend the law to provide power to the citizens, and we might as well amend the constitution if necessary,” said Mausoom. ”In the bill it will determine how the local councils should be established in the controversial islands of Addu Atoll and Fuvamulah.”

In May, the parliament passed legislation on local council elections. The bill was initially passed in such a way that any person who lived out of their birthplace was required to travel to their home island.

Article 4 of the first legislation passed said voters would have to be present in their island of birth or registered constituency in order to cast their ballots.

President Mohamed Nasheed vetoed the bill, claiming a large number of people from the atolls living in Male’ or “40 per cent of the population”, would be deprived of the right to vote if he ratified the bill.

President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)