Author: Minivan News

Maldivians and expatriates arrested in human trafficking crackdown

Police have arrested a group of Maldivians and expatriates who allegedly attempted to traffic expatriate workers to the Maldives using forged documents.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that a  group was caught but declined to reveal further information, citing a larger investigation.

”Currently police are conducting a major investigation into the Immigration Department and in this case there might be information concerning the investigation,” Shiyam said. ”We will provide details to the press as soon as the investigations are concluded.”

President Mohamed Nasheed this week instructed the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) to temporarily take over the work of both the Immigration Department and elements of the Human Resources Ministry.

MNDF officers are currently staffing the immigration desks, in an effort to isolate the loopholes in the department that the government has alleged are being used to traffic expatriate workers.

Immigration staff have been asked to stay at home until further notice from the President’s Office.

Controller of Immigration Abdulla Shahid told newspaper Haveeru that illegal expatriate workers were costing the government Rf130 million (US$8.4 million) in lost visa fees.

“The investigations include determining whether foreigners have entered into the country illegally, whether people have entered into the country using forged travel documents, and whether the IT systems have been tricked or not,” Haveeru reported Shahid as saying.

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Bank turns to courts over judge’s alleged loan repayment failure

The Bank of Maldives has reportedly turned to the country’s Civil Court in a bid to reclaim Rf2.5 million it alleges was loaned to High Court Judge Abbas Shareef and his father but never paid back.

Haveeru has reported that lawyer Hussein Siraj, who will be representing BML during the trial, claimed at a hearing today that the judge had signed as a guarantor for a Rf 2.5million loan taken out in 2008 for his father Ali Shareef. The bank is now seeking Rf2.6 million in repayments from the original loan within a single transaction.

According to the news report, BML’s lawyer told the court that the finance group sought to sell a mortgaged boat, said to be owned by Judge Shareef and his father, if the requested payment could not be met in a single monetary transaction. Siraj requested that the defendants should also bare the brunt of any charges relating to the sale of the vessel.

Haveeru claimed that the trial is ongoing, though presiding Judge Abdulla Ali is reportedly yet to set a date to reconvene the case following the conclusion of today’s hearing.

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MNSL board approves company shutdown after settling debts

A proposal to dissolve the  Maldives National Shipping Limited (MNSL) has been approved by the company’s board members as the group looks to settle any outstanding debts before ceasing operations.

Haveeru reported that the MNSL board had decided to discontinue its operations after settling the outstanding debts as part of a two stage shut down of the company.

Group Managing Director Ahmed Hameed said that the company would cease to exist under its current name  once debts estimated to amount to US$8 million were settled through a sell-off of assets like cargo ships.

With the Maldives Star, MNSL’s only currently registered cargo ship on its way for India for a possible Rf2.1 million  sale, Hameed claimed that the debts were expected to settled, according to the paper.

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Schwack targets Maldives ad shakeup with screen service launch

Schwack Maldives plans to roll out promotional television screens detailing ferry times, current doctor duties at local hospitals, dollar exchange rates and news across the Maldives after launching the technology exclusively in Male’ this week.

According to the company, the Schwack Connections initiative was launched with 13 screens at seven restaurants and cafes around Male’, with further launches planned both within the capital and at a number of destinations like Addu Atoll.

Schwack Maldives’ Director Althaf Mohamed claimed that amidst present financial uncertainty in the Maldives,  the service was an entirely new way for business to advertise services and products in the country.

The screened information is designed to combine advertising and news with health information, trivia and even celebrity tweets and other social network updates, according to the company.

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Cemetery used for sex and drugs, says Council, demolishing walls

The walls of the cemetery in Maafaanu have been demolished by Male’ City Council, reports Haveeru, after the Council received complaints that the area was being used for sex and drug dealing.

“Public complaints were received about widespread abuse and trade of illegal drugs and inappropriate sexual activities carried out inside Maafannu Cemetery,” Deputy Mayor Ahmed Shamah told Haveeru. We will expose those places.”

Shamah said the Council would observe the impact of opening the area on the local drug trade and then determine whether to demolish the walls of other cemeteries in the city.

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Rufiya world’s second worst-performing currency: Bloomberg

International financial news agency Bloomberg has reported that the Maldivian rufiya is the world’s second worst-performing currency, after the Suriname dollar and above the Kenyan shilling.

The Maldives has been faced with a shortage of foreign currency for over a year due to a high budget deficit, spiralling state budget, economic disconnect from the high-earning tourism industry and political obstacles to reducing expenditure or implementing tax reform.

Earlier this year the government introduced a managed float of the currency within 20 percent of the pegged rate of Rf12.85 to the dollar, in a bid to overcome black market currency trading. The exchange rate shot to the maximum permitted Rf15.42, where it remains, and convertibility of the currency into dollars remains sporadic.

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Maldives to receive up to US$30 million in alternative energy funding

The Maldives will receive up to US$30 million from the Climate Investment Fund (CIF)’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy Programme (SREP) to pilot renewable energy, the President’s office has stated.

CIF said the Maldives could potentially access a further US$60 million in reserve, following the CIF 2011 Partnership Forum being held in Cape Town, South Africa.

“The CIF’s Strategic Climate Fund gives priority to highly vulnerable least developed countries, including the small island developing states,” said the President’s Envoy for Science and Technology, Ahmed ‘Sappe’ Moosa.¨As momentum grows for climate action on the ground, the CIFs can be a real game-changer.”

The Maldives last year spent 25 percent of its listed GDP, a total of US$244 million, on importing fuel. Most of this was marine diesel used to power the country’s dhoni and speedboat fleet.

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MP Saleem denies corruption charges

Eydhafushi MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem has pleaded not guilty to charges that he was allegedly responsible for the illegal transfer of state funds to a private company in a violation of the country’s Anti-Corruption Act.

According to local media reports, prosecutors at the Criminal Court today alleged that Saleem, acting of his own accord, transferred 50 per cent of some government development funds to a company called Neyza Enterprises.  The allegations date back to 2003, when Saleem served as director of the Ministry of Atolls Development.

Haveeru reported that Saleem rejected allegations that he had been responsible for the funds transfer, claiming the charges against him were politically motivated  and an attempt by President Mohamed Nasheed to destroy his poltical career.

Judge Abdulla Didi reportedly told Saleem, who potentially faces a year in prison as well as the loss of his parliamentary seat if convicted, to avoid talking about politics and the president during the trial and discuss the charges against him.

Saleem’s lawyer MP Ibrahim Riza said that the charge documents had failed to clarify whether the defendant had been required to make an announcement concerning the development project linked to the case.  Riza claimed the situation was complicated by the government holding control of the documents in question.

Both the prosecution and defense submitted their respective list of witnesses to the court as the trial continues, Haveeru added.

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President takes breakfast trip to inaugurate Male’ bus service

President Mohamed Nasheed has this morning inaugurated the first of several bus services expected to operate around Male’ as passengers in the capital are invited to climb aboard free of charge during the next 24 hours.

Nasheed along with a number of local councillors and government officials were among the first people to use the service this morning, after departing from the Alimas Carnival area at 6am.

According to local newspaper Haveeru, the promotional trip stopped off at the the ‘Alibe Kada’ tea shop for a breakfast of Mashuni and Roshi before completing its round trip to the Alimas Carnival.

The buses, which will be operated by the MVK enterprise, will begin by operating a single route around Male’ before adding a second service to cover Majeedhee Magu and Ameenee Magu in the coming weeks, the report added.

From tomorrow onwards, passengers will be charged Rf5 for use of the service.

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