Author: Ahmed Nazeer

Manager of Habib Bank stabbed and robbed

The country manager of Habib Bank was stabbed and robbed in his home yesterday evening by a gang of four masked men.

Mohamed Anjul Jameel suffered injuries to his nose, forehead and right arm but was not seriously hurt, said Police Sergeant Abdul Muhsin.

Jameel was taken to ADK Hospital for treatment following the attack, which occurred around 5:30pm yesterday.

The bank’s Manager for Foreign Exchange Saudhulla Saeed told Minivan News the incident occurred inside Jameel’s house.

”When he went home after work a group of four young men were in front of his apartment covering their faces,” Saeed said. ”[Jameel] did not notice that these guys were there.”

Saeed said as the man opened his apartment the men came up from behind and pushed him inside his room.

”They covered his mouth and started beating him,” Saeed said, ”and then he told the group to take whatever they liked.”

He said the group only took the money from inside Jameel’s wallet.

”They packed a laptop, five watches and some cosmetics but they forgot to take it with them,” he said.

He said Jameel’s face was badly beaten in the attack.  He was discharged from ADK Hospital this afternoon.

Saeed noted that Jameel’s five year contract was coming to an end and he would be leaving the country very soon.

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Alhan Fahmy asked to leave at reception for Gayoom’s return

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Alhan Fahmy is claiming he was ‘threatened’ when he tried to attend a welcome reception at the presidential jetty for former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on his return from Egypt.

Fahmy recently joined the MDP following his suspension Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), the party of which Gayoom is Honorary Leader.

”DRP MPs and people of the leadership came and warned me that if I stayed here I ‘might hurt myself’,” Fahmy said, ”but the jetty does not belong to DRP so I stayed there.”

Gayoom had attended a gathering marking the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday, where he was presented with the Order of Merit, First Class in Arts and Sciences by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for his contribution to spreading Islamic education.

Fahmy said he had wished to personally congratulate Gayoom for his achievement.

”I was forced and threatened, and asked to leave,” he said, ”so I left.”

He said the DRP’s actions “proved they do not reach the criteria of a democratic political party.”

However DRP’s Vice President Umar Naseer claimed Fahmy went to the reception with the clear intention of disrupting the event, “and not to congratulate Maumoon.”

”The event was organised by DRP and only DRP members were invited,” Naseer said, adding that DRP supporters had shouted at Fahmy and he had left of his own volition.

MDP MP Ahmed Easa said it was “very nice” of Fahmy to congratulate Maumoon.

”It showed that he respects him,” Easa said. ”Sending him away was a very weak act by DRP.”

He said even though Fahmy had moved from the DRP to MDP, there was no reason he should not retain personal friendships with the party’s senior members.

”We also used to have coffee at the same table with DRP MPs after debating issues in parliament,” Easa said.

At his welcoming reception, Gayoom said “it gives me pleasure to know that the international community recognises my work in spreading Islam and education in the Maldives,” adding that his award was “an honour to the whole country.”

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MDP now the largest political party, says Elections Commission

The Elections Commission has announced that the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has overtaken the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to become the largest political party in the country.

President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq said the MDP is now the largest political party with 31,171 members, narrowly overtaking the DRP’s 30,775 members.

Fuad noted that there was a possibility the DRP would regain its position once another 2000 membership forms were processed.

DRP Secretary General and MP Abdulla Mausoom claimed the EC had not included the forms of 2400 DRP members in the list it had released.

”We want to believe that EC is an independent commission,” Mausoom said, ”but sometimes questions arise about them.”

DRP MP Ali Waheed accused the the commission of failing to include DRP members, claiming it was influenced by the ruling party.

”We are visiting the atolls this weekend,” he said, ”and during that  visit we will reveal what action we plan to take.”

Fuad rejected the allegations as false information.

”We cannot be influenced by any party,” he said, noting that the commission did not support or depend on any political party. In a previous interview with Minivan News, Fuad has noted that sometimes existing members seeking to join other political parties failed to realise they had to leave their current party before applying.

MDP MP Alhan Fahmy said the DRP’s claims the EC was being influenced were “regrettable”.

”Everyone must respect the independent commission,” he said, ”and when things do not go the way [DRP] planned it is unfair to say the commission was influenced.”

Alhan said when he joined MDP, “many DRP members followed.”

Umar Naseer said he respected the EC and did not believe it was being influenced, but suggested DRP’s membership would top MDP when the new membership statistics settled this week.

By the numbers

After the two major parties, the third largest party in the Maldives is the  Jumhooree party with 7565 members, followed by the Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) with 5359 members and the  Adhaalath party with 5163. Former President of the IDP Umar Naseer is currently attempting to dissolve the IDP, however the EC has ruled against this decision.

The People’s Alliance (PA) has the least number of members at 3107, below the Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP)’s 3480 members.

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Second honeymooning tourist dies while snorkelling

A Chinese tourist died yesterday while snorkeling at Chaaya Lagoon Hakurahura Island Resort, less than a day after a German man also died in a snorkelling accident at Embudu Village Island Resort.

Police confirmed the 30 year old was visiting the Maldives from China on his honeymoon.

A senior staff member at the resort told Minivan News that the man died while snorkelling off a boat with his wife near the edge of the reef with a group of tourists, less than a kilometre from the resort’s jetty.

”After they finished snorkelling and everyone came aboard the boat, the boat crew noticed one man was missing,” the staff member said. “The crew immediately started searching for him and informed the hotel management and diving school.”

He said the man was eventually discovered by a team of three resort divers who had been sent out to search for him.

One of the divers told Minivan News that the man appeared to be dead when he was recovered from water.

”When we brought him up there was blood coming from his mouth,” the diver said.

He noted that when the diving team discovered the man he was holding his snorkel tube in his hand “but the mask was missing.”

The team pulled the man aboard the dive boat and attempted to resuscitate him, but he was not breathing.

The man was taken to Meemu Atoll Mulee Regional Hospital and doctors confirmed that he was dead when arrived.

Police sergeant Abdul Muhsin said the man was brought to Male’ today morning and placed in the mortuary. He said a team of police forensics specialists were now investigating the case.

The case is the second snorkelling fatality in as many days. The day prior, a 69 year old German man died while snorkelling at the Embudu Village Island Resort.

Permanent secretary for the Tourism Ministry Ahmed Solih said he would not comment on the cases but noted that the ministry was verifying that safety regulations were being followed by the resorts.

Sim Ibrahim Mohamed from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) said the resorts needed to be more careful guiding snorkellers, particularly older divers.

The Maldivian resorts’ procedures for guiding and instructing snorkellers were very good, he explained.

”All the resorts have said they inform tourists about the nearby water conditions and tides, and they also tell them the do’s and dont’s.’ But they need to be more careful with old aged people,” Sim said.

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Tourist dies while snorkelling at Embudhu Village Resort

A 69 year old German tourist died yesterday while snorkelling at Embudhu Village Resort in Kaafu Atoll, eight kilometres from Male’.

Police confirmed the case was reported at 4:45pm yesterday.

A senior staff member at Embudu village told Minivan News the man went snorkeling with his friend yesterday.

”His friend noticed that he had been floating in the water without movement for a while and went to help him,” the staff member said.

”When he shook him he did not move, so he knew that something was wrong. The sea was clam and there was low tide that time.”

He said the dead man’s friend shouted at a speed boat entering the resort and the man was recovered from the water.

”He was immediately taken Male’ to confirm his death.”

The man arrived at the resort on holiday with his wife on the 23 February and was supposed to have left on 9 February, the staff member said. The man’s son will arrive at the resort tomorrow.

Police seargant Abdul Muhsin said a forensic team were investigating the man’s body but had found no external injuries. ”He has been taken to mortuary now” he said.

Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) confirmed the death yesterday.

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Thirteen year old abused by father in Shaviyani Atoll

Police and the Ministry of Health and Family are investigating a man who allegedly sexually abused his 13 year old daughter on the island of Fokaidhu in Shaviyani Atoll, after luring her to a room with Milo packets.

An official from the island office said the case was reported to the island office on Thursday morning at 11:00pm. He said the man was summoned to the island office by police but was released after questioning.

The official claimed that the case came to the attention of authorities after she confided in someone she knew about the abuse, which was then passed to the island offices by two other youths.

The Family and Children Service took the girl into state protection the same day the case was reported, the official said.

Head of the Family and Children Service Centre Abdul Zaeem refused to comment on the case. Senior Social Service Officer from the Ministry of Health and Family Fathimath Runa said ”if a case like this was reported to us, we would investigate it with the police.”

Police Sergeant Abdul Muhsin confirmed the case was reported to police but ”could not give any details.”

Head of Shaviyani Atoll Police Station Ijlal also refused to provide information ”as the investigation is ongoing,” but noted it was the fourth child-related case reported to the station this year.

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Staff at Centara Grand strike over low service charge payments

Management at the Centara Grand Island Resort in North Ari Atoll have increased the service charge allocated to staff after workers held a strike yesterday.

A employee told Minivan News that staff from the housekeeping department, front office and food and beverage department participated in the strike from 10:00am yesterday morning to 4:30pm in the afternoon.

He said the staff held the strike because they were not receiving the service charges agreed to them by management, adding that the management had persisted in giving them the lower amount “claiming that the room revenue was very low.”

“The general manager and someone from labor ministry came and spoke to us and said the service charge would be increased,” he said.

”The general manager gave us three documents guaranteeing they would add $US300 to our service charge from this month onwards.”

He said staff would renew the strike if the management failed to follow the conditions in the document.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Human Resources, Youth and Sports, Ahmed Shinan, said while he was unable to comment on the specifics of the incident, the ministry had received information about the case and a representative from the ministry had visited the island.

The management of Centara Grand Island Resort had not responded to Minivan News at time of press.

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Liquor licenses spark protests across Male

A group of NGOs gathered outside the residence of Economic Minister Mohamed Rasheed last night for publishing regulations permitting the licensed sale of alcohol on inhabited islands.

The protesters called on the minister to withdraw the new regulations, which allow hotels with over 100 beds to sell alcohol and pork to foreigners amid tight security. Newspaper Haveeru reported that some elements of the crowd even called for the minister’s “execution”, calling him “an infidel”.

Police media official Sergeant Athifa Hassan said police received information about the protest around 11:00pm, and immediately attended the scene.

”It was a very peaceful protest and nobody was injured,” she said, adding that the protesters went home at 1:00am.

A second protest was sparked outside the Iskandhar Koshi (police base) after reports that police had discovered 168 bottles of alcohol in a car belonging to Maldivian Democratic Party MP MDP’s Parliamentary Group leader ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, who is currently in Singapore.

Sergeant Abdul Muhsin from the Maldives Police Service said the protesters gathered in front of Iskandhar Koshi around 10:30pm and were dispersed at 2:30am, reportedly with tear gas.

Muhsin said the protest was “not very violent” but ”three police were injured and five men were arrested.”

Reaction

Political parties including the Adhaalath Party, Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Peoples Alliances (PA) and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) strongly condemned the regulation.

The Adhaalath Party has indicated its intention to host a protest on Friday afternoon, calling on the president to invalidate the regulation “and apologise to the people.”

Vice president of the Tourism Employment Association of Maldives (TEAM) Mauroof Zakir said more than 80 NGOs were present at the protest.

”We called on the resignation of the Minister,” Mauroof said, adding that ”nobody called for his execution.”

He claimed more than 1000 members took part in the protest, the first in a series of planned events.

”We will not say what kind of events and when we will start,” he said.

Spokesperson of the Adhaalath party and State minister for the Islamic Ministry Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said the party would not allow alcohol to be consumed and sold on inhabited islands.

Shaheem said he regretted that the government had not discussed the issue with the Islamic Ministry.

”We invite all political parties and all people against the new regulation to take part in the protest [on Friday] so their voices are heard by the government,” he said.

The use and sale of alcohol was not permitted under the tenets of Islam, he said, ”and nobody under the sky can allow it.”

Vice President of the DRP Umar Naseer said he “knew this would be happen” and ”I am not surprised.”

Naseer claimed the government was trying to promote alcohol in the country “and make everyone drink it.”

”This government consists of alcoholics,” he claimed, accusing President Mohamed Nasheed of “building a bar inside Muleeage three months after he came to presidency.”

”I bet on that,” he said. ”One day let’s go inside Muleeage with journalists to check.”

Secretary General of the PA Ahmed Shareef said the party would be taking part in the protest held by Adhaalath party.

”We are against [the sale of alcohol],” Shareef said. ”Maldivians would not let the government to sell and use alcohol in the inhabited islands.”

He said the party was confused about the government’s policy on the subject.

President of religious NGO Jamiyyath-al-Salaf, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Ibrahim said the organisation would also take part in Friday’s protest by the Adhaalath Party, and that the entire coalition of concerned NGOs would participate.

”The whole country is against it,” he said. ”We will continue our protest until we succeed.”

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said he was confident that the president would not pass any law against the tenets of Islam, and would discuss the matter with the Islamic Ministry and the Economic Ministry over the coming days.

He said that the regulations would “not technically” become effective until they were published in the government’s gazette, and noted that “the President has not yet made the decision to do so. He has reservations and is seeking advice as to the extent the regulations [can be implemented].”

The ministry of economic developments commented that the regulations would come into effect on 1 March “were not true”, he said, “even if gazetted, as certain criteria have to be met by sellers.”

State Minister for Economic Development Adhil Saleem said the regulations would be effective from 1 March “unless we receive instructions otherwise.”

“We have a mandate to regulate controlled substances,” he said. “This ministry regulates the use of alcohol and pork in this country, and working with police and customs we have formulated regulations we believe are best suited for today’s economy.”

The sale of alcohol, he said, was innately linked to Western tourism in the Maldives and its ability “to provide an environment conducive to foreign investment.”

“The Maldivian people want an international airport at Gan, and there are many development projects to boost economic activity through foreign investment,” he said. “If we want to be [a hub] like Singapore, we have to allow big hotel chains to establish themselves here and create an environment attractive to foreign investment. City hotels create economic activity and jobs.”

Adhil said he felt people were “being misled” over the issue, and “do not understand what this means for the economy.”

“It’s not just the development of airports [at stake] but schools and hospitals. We cannot achieve this development by 2013 unless our revenues increase.”

He claimed that many countries grappled with the issue, “and if you take a religious angle on this, many Muslim countries issue liquor permits to non-Muslims. Some of them have minerals, soil or gold, we have based our economy on tourism. For 15 years we’ve been attracting Western tourism development, and that includes alcohol. If that is unacceptable we should design another industry.”

He noted that many resorts in the Maldives “employ more than 1000 Maldivians, which is larger than the population of some inhabited islands.”

Like those opposed to the new regulations, he said “the real public reaction will be gauged on Friday. Let’s see how many people turn up. If this is something the majority of people don’t want, then no doubt the government will reconsider it. I am defending the new liquor regulations openly in public and I believe we should stand firm against these attacks.”

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Teacher preaches Christianity “to leave country” in lieu of vacation

A computer teacher from India working at Vaikaradhoo School in Haa Dhaalu Atoll has been sent home for allegedly preaching Christianity.

Island Councillor Ahmed Hashim said the teacher had denied Islam and promoted Christianity to her students and other teachers, explaining he had received information about the case on Thursday.

Hashim said as soon as the island office was informed the police were called and the woman taken to the police station.

”During her departure from the island she also telephoned the island chief and requested permission to preach,” Hashim said.

He claimed the teacher was attempting to leave the Maldives “by any means necessary”, and had said as much to her students. He added the woman had requested a vacation but this request had been denied.

Head of the Haa Dhaalu Atoll police station Ibrahim Manik refused to comment on the matter. Sub Inspector of police Ahmed Shiyam meanwhile confirmed that the case was reported to the police but he was unable to give details.

He said the education ministry took action against the woman.

Head of the Education Unit of the Upper North Province Ibrahim Asif confirmed the ministry has sent the teacher back to India yesterday evening ”because the police recommended we do so after their investigation.”

”We fired her and sent back to India,” Asif said, noting that she was not technically deported as she had not appeared in court.

He guaranteed that while the woman might return, she would not receive any post in the ministry.

Principal of Vaikaradhu school Mohamed Rabeeu had failed to respond Minivan News at time of press.

Spokesperson for Islamic Ministry Sheikh Ahmadulla meanwhile said the case was unrelated to the ministry.

”As a matter of fact the teacher was sponsored by education ministry and they took action,” he said, ”so why should we say anything?”

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