Author: Minivan News

Supreme Court appoints secretary-general despite ACC order

The Supreme Court has appointed a secretary-general in spite of an order by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to halt the appointment process until it concludes an investigation, reports newspaper Haveeru.

According to Haveeru, the wife of Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Didi – also a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) – has been appointed to the new post of secretary-general.

ACC Deputy Chair Muaviz Rasheed said that the ACC investigation was prompted by a complaint about the Supreme Court appointment but declined to divulge further details of the ongoing investigation.

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First batch of convicts to be released next week

The first batch of 400 convicts offered “a second chance” will be released from prison next week, according to State Minister for Home Affairs Mohamed ‘Monaza’ Naeem.

Speaking at a press conference today, Naeem explained that the first batch would be released on August 9, 10 and 11 and each released inmate would be assigned a mentor under the national rehabilitation programme devised to reintegrate the convicts into society.

The inmates will have their sentences suspended for a period of three years by presidential prerogative to commute sentences under the Clemency Act of 2009. The convicts are to be released on condition that they do not re-offend within that time period along with compulsory participation in government-run rehabilitation and training programmes.

Naeem said that a coordinated effort involving police and other concerned authorities would be undertaken to supervise and monitor the released convicts while job placements had been secured for some in government companies.

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MACL earns record profits for 2010

The Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) reports a net profit of Rf331,408,594 (US$21 million) for the fiscal year that ended December 2010.

In the company’s annual general meeting yesterday, the MACL board of directors resolved to pay Rf165,704,297 (US$10.7 million) as dividends to the government.

The board also decided to distribute one percent of its profits – Rf3.3 million (US$214,000) – as an annual bonus to its employees.

MACL has received US$19 million from GMR Male’ International Airport – recently renamed Ibrahim Nasir International Airport – as annual concession fee for the period between November 25, 2010 and June 2011. The fees, including fixed annual concession fee, fuel concession fee and variable concession fee, were paid in US dollars.

Meanwhile the company announced an undergraduate scholarship as part of its corporate social responsibility programme for 2010. The annual Ibrahim Nasir scholarship is to be bestowed based on solely on academic results and will cover tuition fees and living expenses.

Applications will be open from September 1 while the scholarship is to be officially awarded on November 11.

Also as part of its corporate social responsibility, MACL plans to sponsor a tuition teacher, laundry staff and childcare staff for the Children’s Home in Villigili.

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President visiting Seychelles

President Mohamed Nasheed has left the Maldives for an official visit to the Seychelles.

The Seychelles has recently undergone rapid economic reforms after facing many of the challenges currently being experienced in the Maldives, a fact the President noted prior to his departure.

Nasheed also revealed plans to hold discussions to establish a tourism link between the two countries, and ways to increase trade profits across the two countries.

During his visit Nasheed will also attend the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games.

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Racing motorbike crashes into police van in Fuahmulah

A racing motorbike in Fuahmulah crashed into a police van at about 11:00pm last night.

Sun Online reports that the motorbike was driven by a 16 year-old, who escaped with minor injuries.

According to police, the 16 year-old was racing with his friends but lost control of his vehicle after not slowing down for a speed bump.

The headlight of the police van was smashed in the accident.

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Male’ City Council, MIFCO to open new raw fish market

Male’ City Council and the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) is set to open a new raw fish market at the T-jetty area of the Male’ southwest harbour.

The new market to be opened at 4:00pm tomorrow will be located at the old Champa Market plot.

Councillor Ibrahim Shuja told Sun Online today that the purpose of the new market was to provide affordable raw fish to the public following recent price hikes.

A filleted fish is to be sold between Rf75 and Rf80 while raw fish will be sold for Rf35 to Rf40.

Shuja said that the fish sold at the market would be “freshly caught” catch brought from MIFCO vessels.

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Parliament extends regulations without parent legislation for additional six months

Parliament voted 37-13 today to extend by an additional six months regulations without enabling or parent legislation when the new constitution was ratified.

Over 80 regulations and procedural rules in place when the new constitution was ratified in August 2008 has been extended annually since then until enabling legislation – such as a Criminal Procedures Act, a revised Penal Code and a Drug Bill in committee since 2009 – could be passed. The previous extension approved in August 2010 was due to expire on August 5 this year.

Under the motion passed today, the parliamentary Rules Committee will be tasked with supervising the finalisation and passage of the required legislation within the proposed six months period.

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Parliament committees resume work

Parliament committees resumed work this week after a two month hiatus caused by a drawn out dispute over reconstituting the composition of committees.

Chairs and deputy chairs were chosen for the committees yesterday, with the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) getting its MPs as chairs for six of the 12 standing committees.

Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim was elected as chair of the coveted ‘241’ Security Services Committee with MDP MP “Reeko” Moosa Manik as deputy chair.

Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed chairs the Independent Institutions Committee while opposition MPs chair the Social Affairs Committee, Privileges Committee, Government Oversight Committee and Public Accounts Committee.

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MDP opens administrative offices in all inhabited islands

The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) opened administrative offices in each inhabited island of the Maldives this week.

Speaking at a function on Monday, Chairperson “Reeko” Moosa Manik explained that the costs of the new offices were borne by party members and councillors.

The offices will liaise with the Head Office in Male’ to organise party activities, Moosa said.

The MP for Hulhu-Henveiru added that the new offices would help a membership drive to increase the party base to 50,000 from its current 47,301, making it the largest party in the country.

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