Author: Ahmed Nazeer

HRCM organising four hour ‘sit-down’ against violent crime

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has said it will hold a ‘sitting’ this Thursday in protest against a spate of violent criminal offenses committed recently.

HRCM has said it will gather near the Tsunami Monument in Boduthakurufaanu Magu at 8:00pm, and will remain sitting until 12:00am.

In a press release issued by HRCM, the organisation requested all persons attending the event to wear black clothing and wave a national flag.

Media Coordinator for HRCM Ahmed Rilwan said the event was not a protest, “but just an awareness program.”

‘’We can’t tell how many people will attend this event. So far many NGOs have confirmed that they will join us,’’ Rilwan said.

Rilwan said HRCM will would “collect opinions from everyone and forward them to the concerned departments.”

Meanwhile, former Attorney General Husnu Suood has criticised the commission in the media alleging it had done “practically no work” since the new commission members had been elected.

‘’Some say that the only duty of the HRCM’s members is to attend office on time,” Suood said. “The society does not even know they exist. This is their current situation,’’ Suood told newspaper Haveeru.

He also told the paper that there were “far more important things” that the commission should be doing than sitting down for four hours.

Rilwan said the commission would not respond to remarks made by the former Attorney General.

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MDP misleading citizens over the extent of support for the party, claims DRP MP Mahlouf

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Mahlouf, of the faction led by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, today accused the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of “misleading the public over the extent of their support” and “attempting to lure more citizens to the party.”

”In all the elections held so far, be they Local Councils Elections or Parliamentary Elections, the citizens have said they oppose the current government and its party MDP,” Mahlouf claimed. ”So today what MDP do is gather all the supporters they have all around the Maldives and buy MPs, trying to show the rest of the country that they have more support than the opposition.”

Mahlouf alleged that MDP was attempting to “psychologically play with the minds of the citizens.”

”They do have some supporters in Male’, and what they do is gather all their supporters to one place, take pictures and show them to the other citizens, trying to make them feel that MDP has more support than it does,” he said. ”In the Local Council Elections MDP won only 379,494 votes while the opposition won 565,919 votes.”

Mahlouf claimed the MDP would not have won the Presidential elections “without the help of Jumhoory Party (JP) leader MP ‘Burma’ Gasim Ibrahim, Adhaalath Party leader Sheikh Hussein Rasheed and Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP) leader Dr Hassan Saeed.”

”But they all have turned their backs against this government now – they all want to change this administration,” said Mahlouf. ”It is really a foregone conclusion that MDP will not win the next presidential election in 2013.”

Mahlouf’s comments followed the defection of two DRP MPs, Ali Waheed and Abdu-Raheem, to the ruling MDP, granting the party the largest voting bloc in the Majlis.

MDP MP Mohamed Shifaz said that both Mahlouf and the DRP had “failed”.

”It is regrettable that someone as young as Mahlouf declined to accept democracy and rather decided to follow a single person,” said Shifaz. ”The entire party failed because some among them wanted to follow this one person.”

Shifaz said that regardless of Mahlouf’s figures, 75 percent of the Maldivian population supported the MDP.

”There are unregistered persons who support the idea of MDP,” he said. ”All the MPs who joined MDP, only joined because they wanted to do so.”

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MNDF helping 39 homeless following Saamiliyya fire disaster

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officials are providing assistance to 39 people who have become homeless after a serious fire incident that burned down Saamiliyya, a residential building in Galolhu ward.

After the incident last week, the landlord and those living in the property paying rent were left homeless and were relocated to the Social Centre in Maafannu, a building mostly used for sporting purposes and other recreational activities.

MNDF officials have set up partitions and provided mattresses and blankets for those left homeless after the fire.

Male’ City Council told local media that the council had decided provide all assistance possible to those affected by the fire, including financial assistance.

Saamiliyya was destroyed occurred last Thursday, and two people were hospitalised as the blaze burned the residential building to the ground.

Residents of neighboring houses and furniture store Allora were also impacted by smoke from the blaze.

MNDF Spokesperson Major Abdul-Raheem told Minivan News the residents of the destroyed down house were now being looked after by Male’ City Council.

‘’We provided them blankets, mattresses and other necessities to make the place adequate,’’ said Abdul-Raheem. ‘’The list of homeless people initially had  39 names on it, later some amendments were made.’’

He said the MNDF was  now doing a damage assessment.

‘’It will take like two more days to determine the total cost of the damage,’’ he said. ‘’The police are currently investigating the cause of the fire.’’

Meanwhile local newspaper Haveeru reported the landlord’s suspicions that the fire incident was an arson attack by a relative disputing how the property was to be divided.

A woman currently living in Social Centre told the paper that she had lost everything she had gained throughout her entire life.

‘’I was able to save nothing. Clothes, household items or documents – none whatsoever,’’ she told Haveeru.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said it was too early to state whether the incident was an arson attack.

‘’We are investigating the case and  waiting for the incident report from the MNDF. We will refer to it and determine the cause of the fire,’’ he said.

Few non-commercial properties in the Maldives are insured.

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IFM expresses concern over “increase in sinister crimes”

The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM), led by Ibrahim Fauzee, has expressed concern over the “increase in sinister crimes occurring in the Maldives’’ and has called for implement harsh penalties to be applied to those who commit such crimes.

The IFM said the reason for the rise in crime was that Islamic Sharia had not been implemented. Furthermore, verdicts delivered by the judges were not being applied, and convicted criminals remained at large, the IFM said.

“It is very concerning that many new-born babies are being found abandoned, many children are being abused, and crime against women is increasing as well as assault and murder,’’ said the IFM, condemning all such actions.

The IFM said the reason why theft, robbery, assault and murder cases were increasing was due to the easy availability of drugs in the Maldives, and called on the government to stop the importation of alcohol and other drugs.

The foundation also called on the government to administer the penalty, mentioned in the Islamic Sharia, to those who produce and sells drugs.

“We call on parents to be protective of their children and to keep them away from persons who have records of child abuse, and especially do not send female children anywhere without a parent,’’ said IFM.

The organisation assured that it would “fully cooperate to curb the rising crime rate.”

Three abandoned infants have been found dead in Male’, Hulhumale and Villingili this month, and three women arrested in connection with the deaths.

On May 5 a dead infant was found in a plastic bag in the swimming track area of Male’. A medical examination later concluded that the baby had sustained cuts, bruises and other wounds.

On May 21, the corpse of a premature baby boy was discovered inside a Coast Milk tin on the island of Villingli.

On May 22, the body of a newborn baby boy was discovered in a park in Hulhumale’. The infant was found with underwear tied tightly around his neck, the most likely cause of death according to the hospital.

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TEAM calls on government to hasten introduction of minimum wage at Rf5000

The Tourism Employees Association of the Maldives (TEAM) has urged the government to implement a minimum wage, to address a growing gap between the rich and poor.

“TEAM believes that the most important thing to do in order to change the current situation of all persons working in the tourism industry is to implement a minimum wage,’’ said the organisation.

‘’A minimum wage is also important to avoid the potential bankruptcy of small and medium businesses and to eliminate the differentiation between the rich and poor.’’

TEAM urged the government to conduct a fair survey and to determine an adequate minimum wages, “instead of only listening to few influential big businessmen.’’

TEAM claimed the minimum wage for those working in the tourism sector should be at least Rf 5000 (US$325) per month.

Vice President of TEAM Maurrof Zakir said that Rf5000 for resort workers was determined after taking into considering the GDP of the country, salaries of civil servants and the amount of money tourism resorts make per month.

‘’Usually a tourism resort makes US$2-3 million every month,’’ he said.  “But only US$200, 000 at the most is the amount spent on wages. Our estimates do not show that the tourist resorts will suffer any loss by paying their staff a minimum wage of Rf 5000 per month.’’

He also recommended the government  set the minimum wage differently for each sectors.

In last week’s radio address, President Mohamed Nasheed promised that the government would set a minimum wage this year to ensure a decent living.

In January this year, a bill governing the minimum wage of people employed in the Maldives was sent to parliament by MDP Parliamentary Group Leader ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik.

“It is important for everyone working in the Maldives to be certain of the minimum wage that can be given to them – that is a right of every citizen. That’s why this bill is being drafted,” Moosa said.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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Criminal Court again orders release of high profile drug case suspect, despite High Court overruling decision

The Criminal Court has last night summoned and ordered the release of a suspect in a high profile drug case, a day after the High Court invalidated a letter sent by the Criminal Court to the police asking to release him under house arrest.

The Criminal Court first asked  police to keep Abdul Latheef, of Gnaviyani Atoll Fuvamulah, in detention as determined by the Home Ministry, until his trial reached a conclusion. However the Criminal Court later sent a letter to the police changing the court’s first decision and asking police to switch Latheef’s detention to house arrest.

The police then appealed at the High Court to invalidate the letter. The High Court judges determined that the order in the letter was not consistent with the applicable laws concerning detention, and overruled it last Tuesday.

Latheef was arrested last year in December, as he was about to drive off in his car after loading some vegetables into the trunk.

Police officers attended the area, stopped his car and unpacked the loaded items in his presence and discovered 1083.4246 grams of illegal narcotics containing the substance Tetrahydrocannabinol (found in cannabis).

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said Latheef was presented to the court prior to the custodial deadline upon a request by the Criminal Court.

‘’We have not noticed anything unusual about it,’’ he said. ‘’The court just requested police to summon him and we did, then the court ordered his release and so we released him.’’

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Police and family searching for 17 year-old runaway girl

Police have reported that a 17 year-old girl living in Male’ is still missing after four days of searching by her family.

The police identified the girl as Saha Waheed, 17, of Madaveli in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

According to police, Saha was reported missing last Monday and police are currently trying to find out what she was last wearing.

Director of Police General Investigations, Hassan Hameed, told the press that Saha had sent a text message to her family after she left: “This incident occurred by a mistake. Don’t look for me. Really sorry.”

“We have searched the islands and several guest houses and yet there has been no sign of her,” Hameed said.

Local media expressed confusion over the phrase ‘this incident’ as it was neither mentioned in the text nor explained by the police.

Police provided no further details other than to say there were no issues between the girl and her parents.

Saha was studying at the Maldives National University and staying at her sister’s place, police said.

In June last year, police searched for a 14 year-old boy and eventually located him in Addu after three days of searching. The boy left home to attend the mosque for prayers his parents raised the alarm when he failed to return.

Anyone with information concerning Saha’s disappearance should contact police on 332 2111.

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Police close investigation of 41 year-old man for sexually abusing six year-old girl

Police have concluded an investigation and sent to Prosecutor General’s Office the case of a 41 year-old man who allegedly sexually assaulted a six year-old girl multiple times.

The local media reported that the man was identified by the police as Mohamed Mukhthar of Shaviyani Atoll Fuvamulah.

Media reported that the 41 year-old man allegedly tied the six year-old girl to a tree and abused her sexually inside the girl’s house.

Three sons of Mukhthar who obstructed police attempts to arresting him were also investigated, and the trial is ongoing in Fuvamulah’s court.

One of his sons was arrested last year in connection with the attack of a married couple who were out on a bike ride. The husband was restrained while his wife was gang raped in front of him.

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Gayoom faction marches with coffins demanding justice for 1988 coup deaths

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s faction of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) this afternoon protested outside the Prosecutor General’s Office, marched through the streets of Male’ demanding justice for the martyrs who died in the November 3 coup attempt in 1988.

The Z-DRP protesters set out from Artificial Beach carrying 19 wooden coffins wrapped in the Maldivian national flag, calling to arrest Former Defence Minister Ameen Faisal and other senior officials in the government whom they alleged were involved in the incident.

The protesters marched down Majeedhee Magu and stopped as they reached the Prosecutor General’s Office, setting down the coffins on the ground and calling for the arrest of those involved in the November 3.

They remained until the police arrived and told the protesters to leave the area, whereupon  they walked back to the Artificial Beach.

On November 3, 1988, the Maldives was attacked by 80 armed mercenaries linked to the Sri Lankan terrorist group, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom requested Indian intervention and 1600 paratroopers were deployed to the Maldives.

19 people were killed in the fighting, including several hostages taken by the mercenaries.

Zaidhul Ameen, a Z-DRP official, told Minivan News that today’s protest was to “hand over a letter to the PG, requesting him to conduct a fair trial of those involved in the November 3 attack.”

‘’There are people in the government who were definitely involved in it,’’ he said. ‘’But in the letter we did not mention anyone’s name.’’

He said depending on the reaction of the PG, more protests would be held.

The current government has set up an office and is seeking information from the public in an ongoing investigation into allegations of torture by the former administration.

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