Author: Ahmed Nazeer

Minor arrested in connection with Dr Afrasheem’s murder charged with giving false statement

The state has pressed charges against a minor arrested in connection with the murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali, who was murdered in October last year.

The state told the court the minor had given a false statement to police when he was summoned to police during the investigation of Dr Afrasheem’s murder, and that the minor had also given false statement to the Juvenile Court.

The minor told the court that he would respond to the charges in the presence a lawyer during the next hearing, according to local media.

Spokesperson for the Juvenile Court Zaeema Nasheed did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Dr Afrasheem was a well-known religious scholar and the MP for Ungoofaaru constituency. He was stabbed to death on the night of October 1, on the staircase of his home.

Two men were arrested as main suspects involved in the case. The two suspects were identified by police as Hussein Humam of Henveiru Lobby and Ali Shan and of Henveiru Hikost.

The trial of Humam is currently ongoing in the Criminal Court, while Shan’s case has yet to start.

A Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officer and Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid – son-in-law of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – were also previously detained by police over their alleged involvement in the case.  Both were later released by the court.

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has previously alleged that the murder of the MP was “well planned”and worth MVR 4 million (US$260,000).

In his last words, aired on the show, Afrasheem said he was deeply saddened and asked for forgiveness from citizens if he had created a misconception in their minds due to his inability to express himself in the right manner.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed was quoted in local media as saying that the Islamic Ministry had not forced Afrasheem to offer a public apology for anything during his last television appearance ,and disputed that there was any religious motivation in the death of the moderate scholar.

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Criminal Court acquits six suspects in Shifan’s murder case, despite DNA evidence

The Criminal Court has ruled that all six suspects arrested in connection with the stabbing murder of Ali Shifan are innocent and ordered their release.

The judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict, reported local media, despite the DNA of the victim being found under the fingernail of one of the suspects.

The six suspects were identified by the police as Ali Nabeeh, 22, of M.Nalahiyaa Manzil, Mohamed Shaifan, 18, of Male’ Dhaftharu no 3912,  Razzan Abdu Rahman, 19, of Kaanimaage house in Thulhaadhoo island of Baa Atoll,  Abdul Thilmeez, 20, of M.Thilmeez,  Mohamed Asif, 19, of Maafahi house inKurendhoo island of Lhaviyani Atoll and Mohamed Mishaan Abdul Haadhy, 20, of M.Silver Nest.

The judge said that although the state had produced five witnesses to the court, their statements to police were contradictory.

The court also acknowledged that Ali Shifan’s DNA was found under Shaifan’s fingernail, and accepted that this was “strong forensic evidence”.

However, the judge cited a Supreme Court ruling stating that when dealing with murder cases, a suspect could only be convicted if there was enough evidence to believe he was guilty beyond any doubt, and said the state was not able to convince the court that they were guilty.

Shifan was attacked around 4:15pm on April 1, 2012, outside the Westpark restaurant on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, the outer ring road of Male’.

He was stabbed multiple times in the back and arms by a group of men on some motorbikes as he stepped out of a restaurant to meet a friend, police said.

Shifan had no previous records of any gang involvement, police said, adding that it was unclear as to why he was targeted by the gang.

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Criminal Court sentence drug lord to 25 years for trafficking cannabis

The Criminal Court has sentenced 43 year-old Ahmed Rasheed, of Always Happy House in Male’, to 25 years in prison after finding him guilty of trafficking cannabis into the Maldives.

Rasheed was arrested by police in May 2012 during a police effort to uncover a drug network operating in the Maldives.

The court said police arrested Rasheed on May 2, 2012, at 7:15 pm in an operation conducted following intelligence that Rasheed was in possession of drugs.

According to the Criminal Court, police located Rasheed inside a teashop called ‘Sai Hotaa’. When Rasheed saw the police officers, he pulled out a plastic can that contained illegal drugs and threw it away.

The Criminal Court said that an additional eight cans and a plastic bag containing illegal drugs were discovered inside a locker belonging to Rasheed.

The court said a total of 1152.51 grams of cannabis were discovered.

The Criminal Court has also fined Rasheed MVR 100,000 (US$6500) and ordered him to pay it within a month.

The Police Drug Enforcement Department (DED) busted the large drug network they allege revolved around a 56 year-old man working on the cargo vessel ‘MV Reina’ in May 2012.

The main suspect in the case was arrested when he arrived to the Maldives from Tuticorin in India.

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Police locate under-age girl from orphanage who escaped hospital

Police have located a 15 year-old girl from the Villingili orphanage ‘Kudakudhinge Hiya’, who escaped while she was admitted to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

Police identified the girl as Shaba Ali Rasheed, 15, of Madharusaadhoshuge in Hulhudhoo, Addu City.

According to police, the girl was located near ADK hospital this afternoon around 3:23 pm after she escaped on Saturday night.

Police issued a statement this morning informing the public that they had commenced a search to find the 15 year-old, who fled after she was admitted to IGHM.

IGMH Spokesperson Zeenath Ali Habeeb told Minivan News the girl was admitted to the hospital a week ago and she was under the charge of the Gender Ministry.

She declined to provide further information regarding why the girl was admitted tohospital.

‘’When she was brought here she was under the charge of Gender Ministry and without the consent of the ministry the hospital cannot provide information about her,’’ Zeenath said.

Spokesperson for the Gender Ministry Aishath Rameela did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

A growing number of under-age girls in the Villingili orphanage have recently escaped the institution, either to be returned or sent to other state care facilities.

On March 13, the Gender Ministry admitted to transferring two children from the Villlingili island orphanage ‘Kudakudhunge Hiya’ to the Centre for People with Mental Disability on the island of Guraidhoo, without determining if they were in fact special needs children.

On March 5, police returned seven under-aged females who had escaped the  orphanage.

In January 2013, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) called for the immediate release of two underage females living in the Villingili orphanage, who had been arrested and sent to Maafushi prison. Local media alleged the girls had been discovered “fraternising with boys”.

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School calls in spiritual healer after 10 female students “possessed by spirits”

A school on the island of Ukulhas in North Ari Atoll has been closed down after a class of 10 female eighth grade students collectively fainted at 10:30am this morning and were hospitalised.

Ukulhas Island Council Vice President Abdulla Firaq told Minivan News the girls were behaving as if “possessed by spirits”.

“They are hurting themselves, making faces and doing all sorts of things that people do when people are possessed by spirits,’’ he said.

“The female students have been experiencing difficulties such as headaches, stomachaches and dizziness inside the school since last week,” Firaq said.

The school brought in a spiritual healer to investigate the mysterious symptoms, Firaq said.

“Two days ago a spiritual healer was brought to the school to see what was going on and today all the female students in the eighth grade fainted at the same time.”

Firaq said some other students in the school were “mentally affected” and also fainted after seeing the eighth grade students do the same, but added that these students had been admitted to the island hospital and were now back to normal.

Firaq told Minivan News that the spirits talked to the spiritual healer through the possessed students, telling the healer that the  students were damaging the oleander trees inside the school grounds which were their homes.

“The spirits told the healer that they were forced to live inside the school grounds because of a spell cast on the school by a sorcerer four years ago,” Firaq said.

Police Spokesperson Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed that 10 students on the island of Ukulhas in Alif Alif Atoll had all been hospitalised after fainting this morning.

Haneef added that police were currently investigating the matter. Asked about the nature of these investigations, the police service would not confirm whether the case involved sorcery, known locally as ‘fandita’.

“It’s something like that,” Haneef said.

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Police arrest 10 in beauty salon raid on charges of prostitution

Police have arrested 10 people in the ‘Roma Beauty and Wellness Centre’, a private beauty salon in Male, on charges of prostitution.

In a statement police said the arrest was made last night at about 9:35pm in an operation police conducted after receiving intelligence reports about the salon.

Four Maldivians, four Thai women and two Bangladeshi men were arrested in the beauty salon, all of them were inside the premises when police raided.

Police claimed that when police raided the salon four of the 10 people inside the premises were naked and involved in sexual activities.

When police searched the premises of Roma Beauty and Wellness Centre they discovered MVR13,000 (US$845) and “tools used for sexual activities”.

Police said the office of Roma Beauty and Wellness Centre was also searched, where police discovered ‘’other items’’ in connection with the case.

Police said all the searches were conducted after obtaining search warrants from the court.

As police raided the salon located in the block between Ahmadiyya School and the UN Building, a large number of people gathered around the area to watch the raid.

The men and women arrested were teased by the crowd gathered as the police brought them out.

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51 year-old man dies in hospital after axe attack

A 51 year-old man has died in hospital after he was attacked with an axe while sleeping in a house on Gan in Laamu Atoll on Tuesday night.

Mohamed Hassan failed to survive the injuries he received during the attack and died on Wednesday evening.

IGMH Spokesperson Zeenath Ali Habeeb told local media that the man died last night at 11:25 am while being treated in the intensive care unit.

Mohamed Hassan was hit on the right side of his head which caused serious injuries to his skull, and his condition was too critical to transfer him abroad for further treatment.

The Laamu Gan Regional Hospital Manager told local media that the victim’s nose and ears were bleeding continuously when he was admitted to hospital.

Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News that police have arrested one person in connection with the case. Haneef said that the victim was hit in the head with a sharp object.

‘’The investigation is ongoing and has become more serious now because the victim has died,’’ he said.

According to a source from the island, the man who was attacked was having an affair with a woman living in the house he was sleeping in.

The source said one of the woman’s sons was arrested in connection with the case.

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Police seek public assistance to identify four protesters

Police have asked for public assistance in identifying four men seen in a video clip captured of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) protest on Tuesday near the Male City Council Office in Majeedhee Magu.

In a statement police asked the public to provide any regarding the four persons to the police criminal investigation department on 963 1696 or police headquarters at 332 2111.

Police also said that, if required, protection will be given to anyone who shared information with the police.

Yesterday the police also published the picture of MDP activist Ali Hashim, 24, from the island of Dhidhoo in Haa Alifu Atoll.

Hashim was previously arrested by police in connection with the murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali, but was released without charge.

Police said Hashim surrendered himself to the police at 10:55pm last night and was is now under police charge.

Police have not disclosed why the four suspects were being searched for.

MDP protesters took to the street after police arrested former President Mohamed Nasheed in compliance with an arrest warrant issued by the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

Nasheed is to appear for his alleged unlawful detention of Chief Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed during his final days in office, charges his party maintain are a politically-motivated attempt to disqualify him from the September 7 elections.

Nasheed’s legal team filed a case at the Criminal Court yesterday requesting for a writ to habeas corpus. However the Criminal Court rejected the case without holding a hearing.

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Police return seven underage girls to Villi-Male’ orphanage after escape

Police have returned seven underage girls who escaped from the Villi-Male’ orphanage ‘Kudakudhinge Hiya’.

Police told local media they were called to the orphanage at 8:00pm on Sunday and informed that seven girls had fled the building.

According to local media, police  refused to disclose where and when the girls were found, but confirmed they had been returned.

Local newspaper ‘Haveeru’ reported that another two girls who escaped from the orphanage were found on a ‘bokkura’ – a small local vessel – in the lagoon nearVilli-Male’ with two boys.

Staff at the orphanage are not allowed to speak to the media.

State Minister for Gender Ministry Dr Aishath Rameela has told newspaper Haveeru that the ministry has not been able to clarify the reason why the girls tried to escape.

Rameela told the paper the girls were found in different areas of Villi-Male’ at around 8:30pm – half an hour after their escape – after police, staff at the orphanage and residents of Villi-Male’ searched for them.

In January police detained two girls who escaped the orphanage, prompting the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) to call for their immediate release.

At the time local media alleged that the two girls, aged 15 and 16, had escaped the orphanage in the middle of the night to fraternise with some boys.

The case was then tabled at the parliament’s National Security Committee which summoned the head of the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS), the Minister of Gender, Family and Human Rights, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), and representatives from the Villingili orphanage.

Sources familiar with Maafushi prison at the time confirmed to Minivan News that the two underage females were being kept with two other underage female inmates completing their sentences.

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