Author: Minivan News

EPA report chronology unclear, claims Champa Moosa’s lawyer

An Environment Protection Agency (EPA) report on alleged illegal dredging and reclamation on Kaafu Thun’bafalhu was not clear whether it took place before or after environmental regulations came into force, Azima Shukoor, lawyer for Champa ‘Uchoo’ Mohamed Moosa, claimed in the Civil Court on Monday.

Azima Shukoor, former Attorney General, is contesting that the EPA violated the constitution and the Environment Protection Act by imposing a fine on Champa Moosa.

In June, the EPA labelled Champa an “environmental criminal” for irreversibly damaging the island of Thun’bafushi and the marine ecosystem of Thun’bafalhu and fined Moosa the maximum penalty of Rf100 million (US$6.5 million) for conducting dredging and reclamation works in the area without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

According to newspaper Haveeru, Azima argued in court that the island or sandbank was leased to Champa Moosa in 1992 while regulations under the Environment Protection Act of 1993 requiring EIAs was put in place in 2007.

Azima further claimed that the EPA provided its report to Champa with chapters missing, depriving the local business tycoon of his right to fully answer the charges.

State Attorney Usham Ahmed however said that the island was leased to Champa in 1997 and read out the first letter sent from the EPA noting the illegal activities on the island and ordering a halt to it.

“When she says they do not know what was done illegally, I don’t know how to make this any clearer,” Haveeru quoted Usham as saying.

Usham said that the EPA met Champa on numerous occasions and offered him opportunities to answer the charges, adding that the report was made available to Champa’s legal team four days after it was requested. Usham noted that Champa Moosa did not request the report before the EPA decided to impose the Rf100 million fine.

Judge Mariyam Nihayath adjourned the hearing after announcing an additional trial date to consider the full EPA report before delivering a judgment, which is reportedly due on September 27.

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BML suspends Vilingili branch employee for alleged fraud

An employee at Bank of Maldives (BML) in the Gaaf Dhaal Atoll Vilingili branch has been suspended on allegations of fraud.

The bank did not identify the employee to the press.

A person from the island told Haveeru that the employee had allegedly sent a forged letter to the branch manager in the account owner’s name, requesting that Rf 2,000 (US$130) be transferred to another account.

It is believed that the money was transferred to the account of one of the employee’s friends.

The fraud came into light when the account owner’s mother went to the bank to withdraw Rf 2,000 only to find that the amount was not available.

“When the bank told her that the account did not have that much cash in it she objected, stressing that her child had deposited the amount. The employee was suspended after the bank tracked down the transaction,” the person said.

In a statement forwarded to Haveeru, the bank said employees found responsible for the fraud had been suspended and that the bank, like any other bank in the world, sometimes faced cases of staff fraud.

“But given the millions of transactions made at the bank annually, the numbers of fraud cases are considerably less compared to global rates of such incidences,” the statement read.

The statement further noted that the mechanism necessary for customer protection is fully established at the bank and that a system, which allows the tracking of transactions and all customer-employee exchanges, is accessible at all times.

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Kaadehdhoo airport given to Island Aviation Services for development

Kaadehdhoo airport in Gaaf Dhaal Atoll was today handed over to Island Aviation Services Limited (IAS) for development.

A special ceremony was held to mark the occasion after a cabinet meeting scheduled for this afternoon in Gaaf Dhaal atoll Thinadhoo, reported Haveeru News. The government is also considering a proposal to offer IAS an island for resort development.

Cabinet discussions at Thinadhoo today were said to address development programmes planned for Thinadhooo and Upper South Province.

President Mohamed Nasheed was said to inaugurate Thinadhooo Development Corporation this evening before leaving the island.

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Decentralisation Act puts Male’ mosques under council control

Male City Council plans to take responsibility for city mosques by next month, Haveeru reports.

The plan is said to be in accordance with the Decentralisation Act. Mosques and cemeteries in Hulhumale and Villimale will also be under the council’s remit.

A management plan for the Islamic Ministry is currently being drafted by the council, reports Haveeru . The plan would allow the council to manage the Imams and administrative workers.

The council is also discussing taking over the Islamic Centre, which it claims is one of its remits under the Decentralisation Act.

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Police recover safe stolen from West Park restaurant

Police have recovered a safe stolen from West Park restaurant this morning and apprehended six suspects.

According to the police website, a capital police patrol in the area grew suspicious and took the group of men into custody at about 7:30am. A taxi cab and a motorcycle used by the group were also impounded by police.

Police have recovered all items reported stolen from West Park.

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Two economic reform bills sent to committee

Two bills of the government’s economic reform package were sent to committee for further review at today’s sitting of parliament.

While the amendments to the Land Act was approved 37-34, the mortgage bill was approved narrowly with 37 votes in favour and 36 against.

The government’s economic reform package includes 18 pieces of legislation, which would introduce direct taxation, excise import duties for most commonly-used items and facilitate ease of doing business.

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Coastguard gives up search for missing Japanese tourists

The coastguard of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has given up its search for two Japanese tourists who went missing from the Adaaaran Hudhuranfushi Resort last week.

According to the MNDF, the search went on by air and sea for three days, covering the resort’s house reef and sandbanks in the region.

The coastguard has however appealed to vessels traveling the area to be on the lookout for the bodies of the missing Japanese couple.

A decomposing female body meanwhile washed ashore on Adaaran Hudhuranfushi Sunday while the MNDF search was ongoing. Police have yet to determine the identity of the corpse.

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Hulhumale’ plots awarded to 94 residents of Male’

President Mohamed Nasheed presented guarantees of land acquisition to 94 recipients under the first phase of the government’s flagship “Veshi Fahi” Male’ (de-congestion) programme.

The first ten recipients under Category A of the programme were awarded land guarantees on July 26 at a ceremony to open the Veshi Fahi Male’ office.

In his remarks at last night’s ceremony at the President’s Office, President Nasheed said that he believed it was within the government’s means to construct a bridge between Male’ and Hulhumale’ as a ferry system was insufficient in itself.

The construction of 2,500 flats in Gulhifalhu is meanwhile expected to begin next month under the second phase of the Gulhifalhu Development Project, Nasheed continued.

President Nasheed explained that more plots could not be awarded in Hulhumale’ as the remaining space was intended for communal use and government or public buildings.

Of the government’s pledged 10,000 flats, said Nasheed, construction agreements had been signed for 8,000 flats or housing units.

Nasheed claimed that the construction industry was booming and that foreign investment had “increased 1000 percent” compared to the previous years.

Male’ City Councillor “Sarangu” Adam Manik, director of the Veshi Fahi Male’ programme, meanwhile said that thousands of applications by residents of Male’ under different categories were currently being processed.

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Z-DRP, DQP condemn Thasmeen for meeting President Nasheed

The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) breakaway Z-faction along with coalition partner Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has condemned DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali for meeting President Mohamed Nasheed Saturday night.

Speaking at a press conference the following day, DRP Deputy Leader Ilham Ahmed claimed that “because Thasmeen has millions of rufiya worth of loans owed to Bank of Maldives as well as other pressures,” the minority leader was “making deals with the government.”

“What we were saying is now becoming very clear to the public,” he said, referring to the Z-faction’s allegations of Thasmeen and Speaker Abdulla Shahid accepting US$1 million bribes from Indian infrastructure giant GMR.

DQP Secretary General Abdulla Ameen meanwhile told local media that the opposition leader meeting President Nasheed was “unacceptable” as it could be construed as an endorsement of the proposed economic reform agenda.

Ameen argued that discussions over the proposed reforms should have taken place much earlier.

“I don’t see any need for meeting the opposition leader after the reforms were planned and finalised and a ceremony held to announce [the reforms],” Ameen told Haveeru.

Thasmeen however told press outside the President’s Office after the meeting that he met the President to voice concerns about the economic reform bills currently before parliament, including planned expenditure growth for 2013 and the personal income tax.

Following the meeting, President Nasheed signaled the government’s willingness to address DRP concerns and incorporate changes in the relevant legislation before enactment into law.

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