Author: Minivan News

Hardcore criminal returns to Maldives on custodial condition

Ibrahim ‘Gabbarey’ Abdulla of Machangoalhi Night Villa, who has been identified by police as a “hardcore criminal”, has returned to the Maldives after medical treatment in India.

Abdulla, who has been arrested 14 times for robbery and gang violence, was charged with the murder of 21-year-old Ali Ishar in December 2007. Police had confiscated an axe, an empty liquor bottle, and a bloodied bandage and towel from Machangoalhi Night Villa as evidence, Haveeru reports.

Although Abdulla confessed to the crime, the Juvenile Court acquitted him on the grounds that it had not found evidence against him. He was a minor at the time.

Abdulla was returned on the condition that he be put back into custody upon arrival in the Maldives.

Abdulla was sent to India in April under a court permit and doctor’s recommendations for treatment of stab wounds to the head.

The duration of his stay in India was not specified, police have told Haveeru. In late August, however, Indian police arrested Abdulla for overstaying in Trivandrum.

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China steps forward at Durban

China has said it would accept a legally-binding climate deal that would become active after 2020, when current pledges expire.

The conditions include a renewal of carbon-cutting pledges by rich nations as specified under the Kyoto Protocol, as well as short- and long-term climate financing for poorer countries.

“The problem now is that we have to see whether we have conscientiously implemented the legal documents we already have agreement on. This is a very important issue for us,” said China’stop climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua through an official Chinese translator.

China earlier refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, claiming that it was a developing country. The United States also did not sign for reasons including that an international agreement should include developing countries.

China is one of 194 nations currently participating in the UN Climate Conference in Durban, South Africa. The conference will conclude on Friday.

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Thieves cut ceiling to steal Rf 400,000 from MTCC safe

Police are investigating the theft of Rf 400,000 (US$26,000) from a safe in the office of the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said it appeared a group of people had entered the MTCC office in the Hulhumale Ferry terminal in Male’ by forcing open the door, and then cutting a hole through the ceiling to the first floor where the safe was located.

The thieves then forced open the safe and took the money.

Shiyam said the thieves “most probably” had information as to where the safe was located and that there was a significant sum of money inside.

No arrests have yet been made.

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High Court issues injunction against sale of MNBC assets

The High Court issued an injunction on Sunday forbidding the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) from selling, transferring or destroying any state media assets.

According to the injunction, MNBC cannot take any action that violates the Civil Court’s ruling in May that the station was to transfer all state media assets to the parliament-created Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). MNBC appealed against the Civil Court ruling in the High Court. That decision is still pending.

This week’s court’s decision came following a case filed by MBC to halt alleged misuse of state media assets by the MNBC board, and prevent the company from laying off workers before the final verdict on the transfer of assets.

MNBC Chairman Madulu Mohamed Waheed told local media outlet Sun that MNBC’s had decided to close seven media centres based in different atolls, and sent notice of dismissal to staff employed at those stations. Affected employees would receive three months’ salary as a redundancy package, he said, but did not state the reason for the decision.

MNBC and MBC have been engaged in a long-running tug-of-war for control of the assets of the state broadcaster, formerly Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VoM).

The government contends that the MBC board is stacked with opposition supporters and that its attempt to gain control of MNBC is effectively a media coup, while MNBC has been criticised for favouring the ruling party.

MNBC’s proponents claim that given the opposition’s influence over private broadcast media the consolidation of media ownership in the hands of a few opposition-leaning MPs, the government has no alternative.

Even the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) waded into the debate at the behest of the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), in support of MBC and an independent state broadcaster.

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“2012 is going to be a duty free year”: President

President Mohamed Nasheed ratified amendments to the Export-Import Act of 1979 on Thursday, enacting a key piece of legislation in the government’s economic reform package intended to reduce and eliminate import duties for a wide range of goods from January 2012.

Under the amended Act, zero rate now applies to construction material, foodstuffs and machinery run of renewable energy.

In his weekly radio address on Friday, Nasheed said the budget submitted to parliament “will make 2012 a duty free year.”

As a result of the shift from indirect to direct taxes, Nasheed noted, government revenue from custom duties levied upon imported goods will drop by Rf700 million next year.

Economic forecasts predict that prices for some items would fall by 9 or 13 percent, he added.

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Maldives draw first game against Nepal in SAFF championship

The Maldives national football drew its first game 1-1 with Nepal on Friday at the SAFF Championship in New Delhi, India.

Captain Ali Ashfaq gave the Maldives the lead just before half-time with a powerful left-footed shot from 25 yards while Sandeep Rai levelled the score with a header at the near post from a Nepalese corner after the restart.

The other game in group B between Pakistan and Bangladesh ended in a scoreless draw.

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Rome Statute activated in Maldives

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) became active in the Maldives today, following a required 60-day period after depositing the Instrument of Ratification.

The Maldives recently became the 118th state member of the International Criminal Court following a favorable vote in Parliament. It is the third South Asian country to join the ICC after Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

By adopting the Rome Statute, experts say, the Maldives has benefitted its own legal system by expanding training opportunities. It has also taken a step towards greater transparency on the international level.

Based in the Hague in the Netherlands, the ICC is an independent, permanent tribunal established in 2002 to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. After 2017, it will exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression.

The Maldives is expected to participate in the 10th Assembly of State for the Rome Statute, scheduled in New York between 12-21 December.

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GMR case ruling due next week

The Civil Court has addressed the case filed by Opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Vice President Imad Solih against GMR and will deliver the results next week.

Solih claimed that the Airport Development Charge (ADC, US$25) and Insurance Charge (US$2) to be collected from international passengers at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) is unconstitutional.

At yesterday’s hearing, Solih said that since the Insurance Charge is considered a tax the ADC should be treated as such, reports Haveeru.

The government has claimed that the ADC is not a tax.

State attorney Aishath Shyza said the ADC did not qualify as a tax because it was not a compulsory contribution by the people to the government.

ADC is to be collected by GMR and put towards the current airport development project.

GMR plans to begin collecting the charges from passengers on all international flights departing after midnight on 1 January 2012.

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Parliament sitting cancelled for lack of quorum

Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim cancelled today’s sitting of parliament after 40 minutes stating that MPs “deliberately” left the chamber to force a loss of quorum.

After ringing the quorum bell and waiting five minutes when the number of MPs in attendance fell below the 20 needed for a quorum, Nazim said quorum was lost because MPs intentionally left the chamber.

“Since MPs do not want the sitting to go ahead I have decided to end today’s sitting now,” he announced at 9.42am.

Today’s sitting was called off shortly before preliminary debate was due to commence on a resolution proposed by Jumhooree Party MP Ahmed Moosa regarding the leasing of uninhabited islands in Lhaviyani atoll.

Prior to the presentation of the resolution by the Kurendhoo MP, Education Minister Shifa Mohamed answered queries from MPs for thirty minutes during the Minister’s Question Time, usually the first order of business for parliament sittings.

Since the beginning of the final session of the year in October, parliament was deadlocked for three weeks over a dispute concerning the right of convicted MP Ismail Abdul Hameed to attend sittings until the Supreme Court ruled on his appeal of the Criminal Court verdict.

While the past three sittings were adjourned before time due to loss of quorum after the 12.30 break, a total of 11 sittings out of the 18 held so far were disrupted and cancelled for lack of quroum, with some sittings lasting less than two hours.

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