Author: Minivan News

State withdraws three witnesses in “Redwave” Saleem corruption trial

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) today withdrew three of its four witnesses in the corruption case against MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem, who is facing charges of conspiracy to defraud the former Atolls Ministry in the purchase of mosque sound systems.

The alleged corruption was uncovered in the audit report of the now defunct Atolls Ministry released in 2009. Saleem was former director of finance at the ministry.

Following a police investigation requested by the Presidential Commission, the PGO 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.

Local daily Haveeru reports that the three witnesses withdrawn by the state were minority opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Deputy Leader Abdulla Matheen, Abdulla Hameed and Ahmed Aseeth.

Saleem meanwhile proposed as his witnesses three former employees of the Atolls Ministry.

According to the law, MPs convicted for a sentence exceeding one year would automatically be stripped of their seat.

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Landhoo women hijack island council over non-payment of dues

Women from the island of Landhoo in Noonu Atoll have hijacked the island council office in protest of non-payment of dues owed for sweeping and cleaning the island.

Sun Online reports that about 50 women entered the administrative office and locked it at about 3:30pm today.

Landhoo Council Chair Mohamed Fayaz said that the disgruntled women appeared unlikely to leave the office.

The women claim that the council office owed them Rf19,000 (US$1,479) per month for the past six months. The decision to lock the council office was made after the national administrative office failed to come up with the money after promising to make the funds available within a week.

Councillor Fayaz meanwhile said that the women had informed him that they would only leave once the administrative office gave them assurances and “a guaranteed date for payment.”

In a similar incident, women from the island of Isdhoo-Kalhaidhoo in Laamu Atoll had protested the non-payment of dues last week.

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Mega Maldives completes maiden flight to Shanghai

Maldivian flag carrier Mega Maldives has completed its maiden flight from Shanghai to Male, the first Maldivian carrier to make the journey.

The flight landed at 12:50pm on Saturday with 200 passengers. Mega Maldives claims it is the only such service from China to arrive in the daytime, allowing more convenient connections to resorts by domestic air and sea transfer.

Mega completed its first international flight between Hong Kong and Gan in January this year, delivering over 230 passengers to resorts in the southern atolls.

It now employs over 100 Maldivian staff and plans to launch a non-stop flights between Beijing and Male’ on July 22 and a fourth route, Male’ to Seoul, Korea, in September, with the lease of a second aircraft.

Mega Maldives Airlines is a source of great pride to the island Republic of Maldives, as we carry the national flag and the Maldivian brand globally, leading the drive in the on-going development of Maldivian aviation, tourism and trade,” the airline said in a statement.

Mega has capitalised on the booming tourism market in China, and the keen interest displayed in the Maldives as a destination by Chinese charter companies.

Speaking to Minivan News in January following the airline’s maiden flight the airline’s CEO George Weinmann, a former rocket and satellite engineer with aerospace giant Boeing, said it was a mistake to think that the boom in Chinese tourist arrivals was an anomaly.

The belief, persistent among some resort operators, perhaps stems from the trend among many Chinese guests to stay 2-3 days, while their European counterparts log an average of 10-14 days per visit.

“I don’t agree with that idea at all,” says Weinmann. “It’s a little like going back to the 1950s and saying that while the US is making a resurgence, Europe is still the place to be.”

The Chinese, he said, had become one of the biggest-spending tourism demographics in destinations such as France, with a per-person spend “substantially higher that most other [nationalities] visiting the EU. That was not a fluke – it was developed over five years.”

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Economic Ministry fines five shops for consumer protection violations

The Economic Ministry has fined five shops citing violations of Consumer Protection Regulations, reports Haveeru.

The Ministry inspected 26 shops but did not reveal the names of any found. Those found violating regulations were fined Rf 500 for every product sold in violation of regulations, which can include a lack of usage instructions or expiry dates on packaged products, or price tags.

Shops inspected included supermarkets, the Ministry said in a statement. Future inspections will be conducted by Male’ City Council.

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Child sex offenders should not be accepted by society: VP

Child sex offenders should not be accepted as members of society, Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has said.

Speaking at a ceremony at Bandos Island Resort last night to mark the second anniversary of NGO Child Abuse Prevention Society (CAPS), the VP noted that in other countries convicted paedophiles were separated from society and not allowed near children even after completion of sentences.

Dr Waheed praised the efforts of CAPS in the past two years and expressed hope that more people would volunteer or join civil society organisations in the future.

At last night’s ceremony, the VP presented plaques of appreciation and recognition to individuals who had provided assistance to CAPs since its formation two years ago.

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Fire razes harbour teashops

A fire broke out at the Male’ southwest harbour at 3:00am this morning, damaging stores and teashops in the area.

According to police, the fire was put out by the fire and rescue service of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) together with police and members of the public at about 4:30am.

While electronic equipment and kitchen utensils in the shops were damaged beyond repair, no one was injured in the incident.

Newspaper Haveeru reports that according to an eyewitness an electricity board in one of the shops had burst into flames and the fire spread to adjacent shops.

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Man arrested in Addu for brewing alcohol

A 46-year-old man was arrested for brewing alcohol in the bathroom of a house on Hulhudhoo in the Addu Atoll.

Police allegedly found ”brewing apparatus and a container with approximately 2.5 litres of liquid in it”, which was confiscated, according to Inspector Ibrahim Haneef of Addu Police.

He confirmed that the man was taken into custody at 12.35pm after recieving an anonymous tip off, according to Haveeru.

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Male International Airport to become ‘Ibrahim Nasir International Airport’

Male International Airport is to change its name to ‘Ibrahim Nasir International Airport’ after the former president.

Minister of Transport Adil Salim told Haveeru that the cabinet had decided to rename the airport as it was founded under Nasir’s leadership.

It is the third name change for the airport’s operator GMR Male International Private Limited which was initially named Hulhule Airport and then Male International Airport will be renamed on Maldives’ Independence Day (July 26), in preparation for the opening of the new wing at the airport.

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Gayoom accuses President Nasheed of enforcing double standards in Majlis

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom sent a two-page letter to President Mohamed Nasheed last week, complaining of “double standards” in dealing with disruptive MPs in the legislature.

Following the forced cancellation of three consecutive sittings of parliament last week, three MPs of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) breakaway faction loyal to Gayoom were forcibly removed from the chamber on Wednesday on orders from Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim.

Nazim is the parliamentary group leader of the minority opposition People’s Alliance (PA), led by Gayoom’s half-brother MP Abdulla Yaameen.

According to Sun Online, in the letter Gayoom writes, “A while ago, members of parliament from MDP (Maldivian Democratic Party) continuously disrupted Majlis sessions, and you did not take any measures or actions to stop that. However, you are taking action against members of parliament who belong to DRP, PA, Jumhoory Party and [Dhivehi] Qaumee Party (DQP) when they do the same in protest. Why are you doing that?”

The former president continued, “I have told Mr. Ibrahim Hussein Zaki [Special Envoy of President Nasheed] that I do not interfere with anything that goes on in the People’s Majlis, and that I have not given any instructions or advice to any MP about anything that is happening there. This is the truth, and I have communicated this via Mr. Adam Naeem to your Cabinet Secretary.”

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