Author: Ahmed Nazeer

MDP to set deadline for early election date, stepping up of protests

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said that former President Mohamed Nasheed will soon announce a deadline for the party to step up political protests, with the intention of  preventing President Dr Waheed Hassan from entering the President’s Office.

The MDP is pressing for an early election date, while the new government has backed away from the suggestion following a breakdown in India-mediated peace talks last week.

Addressing supporters near the tsunami monument – an area the MDP haas taken to calling ‘Justice Square’ – Nasheed said he had not announced the identities of those who tortured inmates in prisons under Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration, and did not send the cases to internation courts because he did not wish to shame the Maldives’s new democracy.

According to MDP, Nasheed accused current Commissioner of Police Ahmed Riyaz of being in charge of the prison guards brutality in October 2003 that led to Maafushi Jail shooting incident and the death of Evan Naseem – a prisoner who was allegedly beaten to death in Maafushi Jail.

Speaking at a press conference, MDP Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy made several accusations against police after MDP activists were detained on drug and other charges.

Imthiyaz alleged that many police officers in riot gear “were drunk” and some fell to the ground “while others were seen vomiting.”

Imthiyaz further alleged that police officers had forced MDP activists to drink alcohol.

A police official told Minivan News that the accusations were baseless: ”It would be better to report these allegations to the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) or some other independent institution to investigate, rather than making false accusations,” the police spokesperson said.

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Criminal Court acquits MP ‘Red Wave’ Saleem

The Criminal Court today ruled that MP ‘Red Wave’ Ahmed Saleem not guilty in the corruption case filed by the state, accusing him of paying Neyza Enterprises Private Limited 50 percent of the money given to the former atolls ministry to buy sound systems for mosques in the islands.

“Redwave” Saleem, who was the former director of finance at the Atolls Ministry, faced charges of conspiracy to defraud the former Atolls Ministry in the purchase of the mosque sound systems.

The alleged corruption was uncovered in the audit report of the now defunct Atolls Ministry, released in 2009.

The court ruled that according to witnesses and statements, Saleem was not the person assigned to make announcements for bids.

The court also ruled that none of the statements or witnesses produced to the court proved that Saleem has abused his position to defraud the Atolls Ministry.

Following a police investigation requested by the Presidential Commission, the Prosecutor General’s Office had charged Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, MP Saleem and former Atolls Minister Abdulla Hameed with three counts of conspiracy to defraud, abuse of power and violation of the state finance and asset regulations.

According to newspaper ‘Sun’, witnesses told the court that Saleem was not the person who was announcing for bids. The person who handled that duty, witnesses said, was Naseema Moosa, who was dead.

Last week the Criminal Court dropped all charges against Nazim, an MP in the party headed by Gayoom’s half-brother, Abdulla Yameen.

The dismissed the three remaining counts of fraud against Nazim, stating that his “acts were not enough to criminalise him”.

The Supreme Court has disqualified former ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Musthafa over a decreed debt which the court concluded makes him constitutionally ineligible to remain in the seat.

MDP MP Mohamed Musthafa was also that week disqualified from his seat by the Supreme Court which upheld a verdict concerning a decreed debt, which the court concluded made him constitutionally ineligible to remain in the seat.

Two judges, including the Chief of Justice Ahmed Faiz, concluded that it cannot be ruled Musthafa had a decreed debt as the loan had been taken on the name of Musthafa’s company Seafood and Trade International and added that in August 1997 the lower court had ordered the “company” to repay the loan.

Earlier this week the Supreme Court upheld criminal charges against Independent MP for Kaashidhoo Ismail Abdul Hameed, who has a record of voting alongside the MDP, and also stripped him from his seat.

The Criminal Court had last year sentenced the Independent MP to one and a half years banishment for corruption. The charges were upheld by the High Court in November.

The MDP meanwhile today accused the Dr Waheed’s government of using the courts to “purge” parliament of MDP MPs and MDP-leaning MPs, “in order to secure a controlling majority.

“While in government, MDP consistently maintained that key parts of the judiciary are in the hands of the supporters of former President Gayoom. Now we are seeing the truth of that claim. Dr Waheed’s regime is using the courts to settle old scores, to reduce MDP’s parliamentary majority and to wipe the slate clean for government supporters,” claimed MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor.

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MDP and PPM clash in Kulhudhufushi during former President’s visit

A group of pro-government supporters clashed on Monday with Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters that went to Kulhudhufushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll with former President Mohamed Nasheed.

According to Vice President of Kulhudhufushi Council Farooq Mohamed, a group of government supporters gathered at the harbor opposing the former president’s visit to the island.

“They gathered at the harbor before Nasheed arrived and started yelling that Nasheed would have to kill them all if he wanted to step on Kulhudhufuhsi,’’ Farooq said. “Then a boat full of MDP supporters arrived at the island and the government supporters threw stones and other things at the boat.’’

He said that MDP supporters and government supporters then clashed “and threw things at each other.”

“There were no major injuries reported but they vandalised one of the boats that arrived with MDP supporters,’’ Farooq said.

He also alleged that the police officers on the island sided with government supporters.

According to Kulhudhufushi’s online newspaper, supporters of the government tried to block former President Nasheed’s planned visit to the island and threw stones and water bottles at the boat that arrived to the island with supporters of MDP, prior to Nasheed’s arrival.

In a statement, police said that there was unrest in Kulhudhufushi when the former President arrived, but said it was controlled.

Several police officers who worked to control the unrest were injured, police said in the statement, adding that police were still active on the island to control unrest.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Media Coordinator and MP Ahmed Nihan and PPM MP and Spokesperson Ahmed Mahlouf did not respond at time of press.

On January 25, 2011, Kulhudhufushi was the scene of the first cabinet meeting to be held outside Male’.

Nasheed’s cabinet discussed developing roads on the island, harbours, house construction, utilities and how to use recently reclaimed land on the island.

In October 2010 the dredging vessel Queen of the Netherlands increased the size of the island by a third within two weeks.

The growth of the island has left islanders a little disconcerted, Kulhudhuffishi Councillor Jamsheed Mohamed told Minivan News at the time.

“When we wake up in the morning, the island is bigger than we left it the night before,” Mohamed said.

Not everybody was pleased with the island’s expansion. Fisherman Mohamed Iqbal said the new harbour “is very far from where people live, which means that anybody wanting to buy fish has to walk a longer distance on Kulhudhuffushi than they ever have had to before.”

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Police use tear gas to disperse opposition and ruling party protesters as demonstrations continue

Police last night used tear gas to disperse a crowd of protesters who had gathered in an ongoing series of protests, held following the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed by the military.

Opposition protesters gathered near the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) office opposite the artificial beach, while  Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters also gathered in the area.

The two groups shouting at each other over loudspeakers until midnight, accusing the other side of corruption along with other allegations.

At one point, according to local newspapers Haveeru and Sun, MDP protesters accused President of the Adhaalath Party Sheikh Imran Abdulla of sleeping with his sister-in-law, to which the Sheikh responded over his loudspeaker, “swearing by God” that the allegation was false and saying he would file for defamation.

Police attempted to enter the DRP head office several times, but were blocked by officials inside who denied then entrance without a court warrant.

After midnight police warned both groups of protesters to leave the area. After warning both sides several times, police threw tear gas canisters into the crowd, which dispersed.

Before the protest was dispersed, opposition protesters announced that they would gather again tonight.

A police spokesperson told Minivan News that police had asked both groups to leave the area.

”We warned them at 12:00am and then dispersed the protest,” he said. “We have not received any information that any person was injured except for a woman who suffered minor injuries.”

He said seven persons who disobeyed police orders were arrested, and one was released.

”The other six persons are still in police custody,” he added.

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Media accuses MNDF of abandoning Supreme Court guard duty

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has not confirmed whether a decision was made last night to withdraw MNDF officers providing security to Supreme Court and High Courts, following allegations in the local media today.

MNDF Spokesperson Major Abdul Raheem told Minivan News that he had seen the media reports but was unable to confirm whether the claims were true.

‘’I have seen the media reports and tried to clarify the details of what happened,’’ Major Abdul Raheem said. ‘’But I have been unable to make sure it is true or incorrect.’’

State Defence Minister Muiz Adnan said he had no any information about the matter.

Judicial Services Commission (JSC) Chair and Supreme Court Judge Adam Mohamed refused to comment on the issue.

Local media reported that at 7:00pm last night MNDF officers watching over the outside gates of the Supreme Court left with the key to the gate.

Newspaper Haveeru reported that the keys were handed back to the Supreme Court last night and informed that they were taken by mistake.

This afternoon, the paper quoted an official of the JSC saying that MNDF officers had been watching the Supreme Court today.

“Around 10 people gathered outside the court and started shaking the east side gate. They left when the lock was broken,” the official told Haveeru.

Five hours after the MNDF officers left the court a group gathered outside the court and broke the lock of the court’s east gate, the paper reported.

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PPM Vice President Umar Naseer sues police and Maldives National Defence Force

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Vice President Umar Naseer, formerly Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Vice President prior to his eviction from the party, has filed a suit in the civil court against the police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Umar said that he decided to sue the MNDF for unlawfully arresting Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, and police for not working to set Judge Abdulla free.

He filed the suit against Police Commissioner Ahmed Faseeh, Deputy Commissioner Ismail Atheef and Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Muneer, and on the MNDF side, he sued Chief of Defence Force Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel and Vice Chief Brigadier Faruhath Shaheer.

Umar claimed at the press conference that superiors at the MNDF had been giving unlawful orders, and that it was one reason why he felt he had to file the suit.

He claimed that if the court rules that the senior officers have been giving unlawful orders they would be dismissed from their jobs.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested by the MNDF on the evening of Monday, January 16, in compliance with a police request, after he attempted to block his summons in the high court.

After he was arrested the Supreme Court declared that the arrest was unlawful and ordered his immediate release, but the MNDF did not respond.

Later the High Court ordered the MNDF three times to produce him at the High Court, but the MNDF did not respond.

Yesterday the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) was summoned to parliament’s Independent Commission’s Committee. President of the HRCM Mariyam Azra told the MPs that there were “issues with the judiciary”.

She also said that HRCM had forwarded these issues  to concerned institutions such as Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which has halted its investigation of Judge Abdulla after he obtained a civil court injunction against his own investigation.

Azra told the committee that HRCM had the legal authority to investigate human rights violations.

Recently Umar has filed two cases against President Mohamed Nasheed at the police.

PPM Spokesperson Ahmed Mahlouf was unavailable at time of press.

A police spokesperson said the police have not officially received any information about the suit.

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Jumhoree Party’s council appoints Gasim presidential candidate

The Jumhoore Party (JP) council yesterday appointed party leader and MP ‘Burma’ Gasim Ibrahim as the party’s presidential candidate to run for presidency in the 2013 presidential elections.

In an interview Gasim gave to his own TV station, Villa TV (VTV), he thanked the council for making the decision and vowed to bring prosperity to the Maldives, and solve all the current issues if he was elected as President.

He accused the current government of destroying the social justice, the constitution and selling state assets, and said the Maldives was “currently in a very serious situation”.

Gasim then called on the citizens to work with courage, saying that he would establish a legal administration and would keep his actions within the law.

Gasim is one of the country’s most successful local resort tycoons, and well known philanthropists, as well as an MP and leader of the JP who enjoys strong support in his home constituency of Maamigilli and was key to the development of Maamigilli airport.

Formerly a coalition partner of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), his small party subsequently aligned itself with the opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP), and later with former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM).

As well as owning VTV, Gasim was last year narrowly appointed as parliament’s representative on the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), the body at the centre of the current judicial crisis following its acceptance of a civil court injunction against the investigation of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.

During the recent protests Gasim has campaigned for the judge’s release, and was also a key figure supporting the December 23 protests calling for the defence of Islam in the Maldives.

Under the former government he presided over the treasury as finance minister during a period in which expenditure on the civil service increased 400 percent, leaving the incoming government with a budget deficit of 33 percent.

In 2010 he was accused by the current government of corruption and bribery, however the case was swiftly thrown out by Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

MDP MP Mohamed Mustafa told Minivan News that it was “not surprising” that Gasim had been appointed as the JP’s presidential candidate.

‘’JP is owned by Gasim and it is Gasim himself that decides that Gasim should be the presidential candidate. No one should be surprised about it,’’ Mustafa said. ‘’JP is not a very democratic party, everyone knows that.’’

Mustafa contended that Gasim would be inappropriate as president because he did not have the necessary capability and knowledge.

‘’He will not win the next presidential elections. When it is time for the elections this opposition coalition will split because everyone in the coalition wants to be president,’’ he predicted, adding that Gasim would find himself competing with the ambitions of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and his half-brother Abdulla Yameen, DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Leader Dr Hassan Saeed.

‘’When Gayoom feels like he may win the elections, he will ask the others to wait,’’ Mustafa said. ‘’We are all going to wait and watch this happen.’’

He speculated that the Adhaalath Party would likely side with Gasim “because senior figures of Adhaalath are employed by Gasim.”

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Spokesperson and MP Ahmed Mahlouf did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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Police arrest six on suspicion of murder in Kudahuvadhoo sorcerer case

Police have arrested six persons following the murder of an alleged sorcerer living on the island of Kudahuvadhoo in Dhaalu Atoll.

Two weeks ago Ali Hassan, a 76 year-old man, was found murdered with multiple stab wounds on Kudahuvadhoo.

Hassan was found knifed at an abandoned house around 8:00 pm on the evening of January 8.

A police spokesperson confirmed Minivan News that the arrests were made and that none of the suspects had so far been released.

“We are currently investigating the case and will provide details later,” he said.

A special team from the Serious and Organised Crime Department was dispatched to the island the day of the murder.

The victim had previously been accused of using sorcery on a 37 year-old woman, who was reported missing at 2:00am on December 4, 2011 and whose body was found floating in Kudahuvadhoo lagoon later that morning.

Island Council President of Kudahuvadhoo Ibrahim Fikry today told Minivan News that the islanders were all frightened after the incident.

“After the death of the woman the islanders were scared, and then this incident occurred and now the islanders are worse,” he said adding that no one walks on the roads now after the sun goes down.

“The injuries sustained were horrific,” Fikry told Minivan News at the time, claiming to have seen the body of the man.

Fikry said that the victim’s forehead was slashed and that his neck was slit. “There were deep stab wounds to the chest and back, revealing the bones. The intestines were visible from a slash to the stomach,” he recalled.

Speaking to Minivan News, an islander from Kudahuvadhoo claimed that the victim was “unpopular” in the community for his alleged practice of sorcery.

Hassan was formerly Deputy Island Chief of Gemedhoo in Dhaal Atoll, which was devastated in the 2004 tsunami. When the population resettled in Kudahuvadhoo, he was removed from the position over allegations of child abuse, said a council member.

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Parliament’s National Security Committee to summon Home Minister and Defence Minister

Yesterday the Parliament’s National Security Committee has decided to summon Home Minister Hassan Afeef and Defence Minister Thalhath Ibrahim and Home Minister Hassan Afeef to clarify some information following the protests in Male’ every night after the military detained Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed.

The issue was presented to the National Security Committee by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP for Manadhoo Mohamed Thoriq.

Former Judicial Service Commission (JSC) members Aishath Velizinee and Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) MP Dr Afrasheem Ali will also be summoned regarding the issue.

Yesterday a closed door meeting of the Parliament’s Security Services Committee was also held. No information about the meeting was provided by parliament except for the MPs that were present at the meeting.

Parliament said the meeting attendees were Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader and MP ‘Burma’ Gasim Ibrahim, MDP Chairperson and MP Moosa Manik, MDP MP Eva Abdulla, MDP MP Ahmed Sameer, MDP MP Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, MP for Guraidhoo Constituency MP Ibrahim Riza, Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed, MP for Kimbidhoo Constituency Moosa Zameer, DRP MP Ali Azim and MDP Vice President and MP Alhan Fahmy.

A meeting of Parliament’s Independent Commissions Committee regarding the detention of Judge Abdulla was also held yesterday, following which the MPs decided to summon members of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) today.

The Committee also decided to summon the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and Prosecutor General (PG) to the committee.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) on the evening of Monday, January 16, in compliance with a police request after the judge had his police summons overturned in the High Court.

After his arrest, the High Court issued several warrants to produce Judge Abdulla to the court. The MNDF has not responded to the requests.

The judicial crisis remains at an impasse after the JSC reiterated that it was unable to continue investigating Judge Abdulla Mohamed because of a Civil Court injunction filed by the judge.  The government has sought international legal assistance to resolve the matter.

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