Author: Shafaa Hameed

Immigration department denies migrant worker fraud

The immigration department has denied accusations by the former high commissioner from Bangladesh that its officers are involved in fraud against low-paid migrant workers.

Selina Mohsin, former high commissioner to the Maldives, in an article for the Dhaka Tribune accused staff in the Maldivian immigration department of helping to to defraud migrants from Bangladesh by making false promises of well-paid jobs.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration  denied Mohsin’s claims in a press statement yesterday.

The department said: “The institution gives approval to any worker who has been certified for employment abroad – within the limits of its quota and in adherence to its guidelines.”

It said that the department is not involved in selecting which overseas workers come to work in the Maldives, and therefore would not be in a position to commit such a fraud.

In her article published on Saturday, Mohsin, who served as high commissioner between 2008 and 2010, said that Bangladeshi workers pay as much as $2,500 to come to the Maldives but find on arrival that these promises are not fulfilled.

She said the workers are abandoned by the companies that sponsor their work permits and forced to find other work, which is often dangerous and badly paid.

“Questionable immigration officers and Bangladeshi brokers work in collusion to bring innocent people from Bangladesh. They are forced to work over 14 hours [per day] with little food and less security,” Mohsin wrote.

“On average, the writer found that one Bangladeshi worker died every week when she was high commissioner.”

Mohsin said that most Bangladeshis find themselves working in construction with no certainty of a salary, living in “inhuman, cramped quarters” without their passports and money.

Her article follows a series of attacks on expatriate workers in the Maldives.

A 25-year old Bangladeshi national, Shaheen Mia, was stabbed to death in a Malé café in March, and a day later another Bangladeshi national identified as Bilal was found dead on the island of Alif Alif atoll Thoddoo, naked with a piece of cloth tied around his neck. Further reports followed of stabbings targeting expatriate workers.

Transparency Maldives, an anti-corruption organisation, has called police to expedite their investigation into Mia’s murder.

Mohsin said that Maldivians “need to be better educated with appreciation of the contribution of expatriate labourers who keep their economy alive. Instead, innocent workers are stabbed and killed.

“Their families in Bangladesh are devastated with indelible tragedy — death of husbands, brothers, and sons.”

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives has also repeatedly noted prejudice, discrimination, and violence faced by expatriates in the Maldives, calling on authorities to take action.

The current Bangladesh High Commissioner to the Maldives, Kazi Sarvar, on Tuesday met with immigration department heads and said the article was purely Mohsin’s own opinion, not the view of the Bangladeshi government, the department said.

Bangladesh and Maldives will meanwhile assemble a technical team to improve the immigration systems of both countries, the statement added.

Migrant workers had planned a protest following the murders last month, but the department of immigration warned them against participating in protests and threatened to cancel work visas if they did so.

The Bangladeshi High Commission in Malé also opened a 24-hour help line for Bangladeshi migrant workers in the Maldives.

There are over 50,000 expatriate workers in the Maldives, according to the 2014 national census.

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Jailed ex-minister Nazim to travel abroad for treatment

Jailed former defense minister Mohamed Nazim has been authorised to travel overseas for medical treatment for a potentially life threatening condition.

He will be allowed to leave the country for a set period of time, a media official from the Maldives Correctional Service said.

However, the jailed politician’s family said they had not yet been told about his permission to leave.

“The family has not been officially informed of the [authorisation] to leave the country. We are working on it,” said Adam Azim, Nazim’s brother.

The family declined to reveal details of Nazim’s medical condition, but said it needs to be monitored and treated.

“We are very concerned. But the government doesn’t seem to feel any urgency at all,” he said.

Nazim was arrested and fired from the cabinet in January after police found a gun during a controversial raid on his home, and in March was handed an 11-year jail sentence for smuggling illegal weapons.

After the midnight police raid in January, officers said they had confiscated a pistol, bullets and a pen drive containing information that Nazim was plotting a coup d’etat and planning to harm the president, police commissioner and tourism minister.

Nazim says the items were planted, and the opposition has been campaigning for his release.

He requested permission to travel overseas three weeks ago after his doctor advised him to undergo some tests unavailable in the Maldives.

Nazim’s lawyers are meanwhile compiling their appeal against his sentence.

“Lawyers are working on the appeal round the clock, listening to recordings, and hoping to file by Thursday or Sunday,” said Azim.

The correctional service said Nazim’s family would need to notify them of which country he plans to travel to so that they can check it is a country approved for Maldivian prisoner visits.

No prison guards will travel with him, but the correctional service and a guardian from the family will come to an agreement under which the guardian will be responsible for the inmate.

The spokesman said that inmates are usually allotted three months for overseas treatment, but that the medical board can extend the period if treatment is taking longer.

Nazim’s family had a monthly visit with him on Monday at Humafushi jail for two hours and reported he was in “high spirits”.

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Mahloof censured over areca nuts as charges loom

Detained parliamentarian Ahmed Mahloof has been denied family visits over the discovery of areca nuts in his pocket, as police prepare to bring charges against him.

Mahloof’s wife, Nazra Naseem, said police cancelled a family visit planned for Saturday on the discovery of the “illegal” areca nuts.

The most high-profile defector from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Mahloof has been attending Majlis (parliament) because of a rule specifying that detained lawmakers must be brought to sessions.

“MPs have access to things like areca nuts in the Majlis during meal times. I think that if it is unlawful, it is the police’s responsibility to make sure these things are inaccessible to him,” Nazra said.

Police said they had sent charges of disobedience to order against Mahloof to the prosecutor general’s office relating to events at a protest on March 25, but said it would be for state prosecutors to decide whether to proceed with the case.

Mahloof, a close associate of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was expelled from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in February after he publicly criticised President Abdulla Yameen and the government.

He is now part of the Alliance against Brutality, an anti-government coalition. He was arrested at an opposition protest on March 25 on suspicion of disobedience to orders after police said he had passed a barricade.

Mahloof has been repeatedly re-detained since then after refusing to accept a conditional release that would require him to stay away from protests for 30 days.

Other opposition figures have suggested that authorities may be planning separate charges against him.

Sheikh Imran Abdulla, head of the religious conservative Adhaalath Party, tweeted that the government was seeking to press terrorism charges against Mahloof.

After his latest court hearing, an altercation took place in which Mahloof’s wife said police pinched her, twisted her arm and tore buttons from her top. Police have denied this.

Nazra has filed complaints with the Human Rights Commission and Police Integrity Commission over the incident on Monday.

Jeehan Mohmood, a member of the Human Rights Commission, confirmed that it was investigating Nazra’s case, while Abdul Aziz Yoosuf, director general of the Police Integrity Commission, told Minivan News the PIC was also looking into the incident.

“My hope is that the independent institutions will look into my case as tomorrow another woman may be treated the same way,” said Nazra.

Separately, the Human Rights Commission is also reviewing 20 cases of protesters who were released from detention on condition they stay away from protests, Jeehan told Minivan News.

Photo of police forcing Mahloof into a police vehicle on April 3, taken by Munshid Mohamed. 

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Thousands sign petition over resort workers’ pay, conditions

A petition calling for sweeping changes to resort employees’ working conditions and a minimum wage has collected two thousand signatures during its first five days.

The Tourism Employees’ Association of Maldives, which launched the petition, said it had amassed signatures from workers on 17 resorts since last Wednesday.

“Signing for new hopes and rights,” the group said on its Facebook page. “Keep going [with] the great work of humankind.”

The petition demands a minimum monthly wage of US $600 across the sector through an amendment to the Employment Act.

There is currently no minimum wage and the petition says that wage rates have not increased in the sector for 10 years.

The workers are also asking for quotas to require 80 per cent of tourism employees in the country to be Maldivian, which would require big changes in the hiring practices of resorts.

Current laws require 50 per cent of resort employees to be Maldivians, but the rule is not widely enforced. The sector employs some 11,426 Maldivians and 16,342 expatriate workers, meaning that overseas employees constitute 59 per cent, according to preliminary figures for the 2014 census.

TEAM also wants the president to honour a pledge to make shares in resorts available to their rank-and-file employees, a rarity in a country where resorts are generally owned by private companies controlled by a few individuals.

In February 2014 President Abdulla Yameen said that by the end of the year, a number of resorts would be floating a portion of their shares to the public, and urged Maldivian employees to become stakeholders.

The president said that share ownership would be a “lucrative addition to their current income from salary and other perks through employment at these resorts”, according to a press release issued at the time.

Speaking at the opening of the Sun Siyam Iru Fushi resort, Yameen also said the Sun Travel resort group would float up to 40 percent of its shares to employees in the coming years.

However, the pledge of shares for resort employees has not so far become a reality.

The petition also asks for a 12 per cent service charge to be applied and for 99 per cent of that to be distributed “fairly” among tourism employees, as set out in the Employment Act.

TEAM’s supporters are seeking the right to form a union, as set out in the constitution, and the right to protest in resorts, which was banned in 2012 under the Freedom of Assembly Act.

The law says that protests can only be held in resorts and in air and sea ports after a special permit from the police based on the advice of the military, but TEAM cites the constitution’s guarantee of the right to peaceful protest.

Over the past few years, resort workers have occasionally tried to launch protests.

Workers who had been fired from Sheraton’s Maldives luxury resort for demanding union recognition protested near the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa in February, according to the website of the International Union Federation.

Carrying banners with slogans such as “Sheraton fully booked — no room for human rights”, the dismissed workers carried out a boat picket around the resort, while employees came to the beach and waved in support.

In February 2013, an employee strike in Vaavu Atoll Alimathaa resort resulted in 27 employees being fired by management.

According to Haveeru, Ahmed Adeeb, the tourism minister, said at the time that protests in resorts would affect tourists both directly and indirectly.

“Such things must not be encouraged by anyone. Especially when it is something banned by law, it must not happen. No one should encourage or give room for such things,” Adeeb said.

Officials from the Tourism Ministry were unavailable for comment at the time of press.

On Thursday, about 50 employees from the international airport in Seenu atoll Gan protested over a new salary structure which they said would result in lower pay than before. They stopped protesting when management agreed to return to the previous wage structure.

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Ruling party wins Alifushi by-election amid bribery claims

The  ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) has won a council by-election in Raa atoll Alifushi amid accusations of vote-buying and a high-profile handout of air-conditioners to the local school.

PPM candidate Aminath Ali won 685 votes at the by-election held on Saturday, while Ali Hameed, the candidate from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), received 490 votes of a total 1175 valid votes cast.

However, the MDP said it had not been a fair fight, as members of the PPM had donated air-conditioners and cash to the island school shortly before the vote. They also alleged that vote-buying had taken place.

The MP for Alifushi constituency, Mohamed “Bigey” Rasheed Hussein, told Minivan News: “PPM did not campaign. They bought votes and used tactics of anti-campaigning.”

A government delegation that included ministers and parliamentarians visited Alifushi two weeks before the by-election and handed MVR 10,000 from First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim to the island school, while presenting the donation of air-conditioners.

Asked about the air-con systems, Ahmed Nihan, leader of the PPM parliamentary group, said: “The ACs were gifts from Abdul Raheem Abdulla [vice president of the PPM].”

“Members giving out gifts is not intended for corruption or to influence the election,” he added.

Nihan said that MPs being socially involved and helping citizens did not constitute a reason to accuse them of corruption, and denied any connection with the vote.

The PPM’s election win in an opposition stronghold parliamentary constituency indicated the growing support for the government, despite the recent coalition between MDP and former PPM allies, the religious conservative Adhaalath Party and Jumhooree Party.

“This is a government win over the MDP, Adhaalath Party and the Jumhooree Party, over all opposition parties. We are very proud since we won this election at a time when all of these parties were on the island campaigning against us,” PPM deputy leader and tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb said.

A landmark study by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) found last year that more than one in three Maldivians were offered bribes for their votes or witnessed vote buying in the March 2014 parliamentary polls.

It said vote buying in the Maldives had assumed “alarming proportions”.

Accusations also surrounded a visit by Ahmed Sulaiman, president of the elections commission, to Alifushi, with the MDP claiming he was involved in door-to-door campaigning for the PPM.

According to Rajje.mv, the elections commission said Sulaiman was at Alifushi on an official visit and that they had no knowledge of wrongdoing.

During the campaigns, the two parties traded blows over the unfulfilled promise of a sewerage system for the island, with PPM representatives blaming Rasheed, the MP, who voted against the overall government budget in parliament.

Rasheed said, however, that it was down to the government to fulfil its promise of a sewerage system. “They should work according to their word,” he said.

Rasheed said he did not believe vote-rigging could have taken place on by-election day, as observers from both parties were present at polling stations.

PPM president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who was president of the Maldives for 30 years until 2008, congratulated the PPM candidate via Twitter, saing: “Warm congratulations PPM candidate Aminath Ali on a resounding victory in Alifushi council by-election today.”

The councillor’s position on Alifushi became vacant when Abdul Latheef Abdul Raheem, also with the PPM, resigned.

PPM will be holding a firework display, its customary celebration, on Alifushi tonight.

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150 goats to be sacrificed in public ceremony

One hundred and fifty goats will be sacrificed in a public ceremony in Male’ this evening in a government-organised celebration of 50 years of independence.

However, the former Islamic minister and some other scholars have spoken out against the event, labelling it irreligious.

The ceremony is the first time the government is involved in goat sacrifice events, which have become increasingly popular in recent years. It comes ahead of Independence Day on July 26.

Locals in Male’ have been receiving calls from the campaign office of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) urging them to attend.

The goats will be slaughtered as alms to the attendees after Ishaa prayers and a special prayer of thanks. The event will begin at 6:45 pm at Maafannu stadium in the capital.

Ibrahim Muaz Ali, a member of the event’s organising committee, told a press conference yesterday: “We would like to invite all citizens to this prayer and also suggest bringing children of praying age to this event.”

Muaz said events will be held for schoolchildren to sing religious songs in honour of the occasion, while a special song will be dedicated to the event of alms and prayer. The imam will be Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, the minister of Islamic affairs.

Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, former Islamic minister and now a member of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, criticised the sacrifice.

“Even though we don’t know who keeps calling people to attend a prayer which includes alms, be cautious to not to attend such irreligious activities,” he said.

Sheikh Imran Abdulla, president of the conservative religious Adhaalath party, tweeted: “Slaughtering goats. Is it religious or political?”

Muaz rejected the criticism, saying: “This is not irreligious as some may define it. I have not heard of any scholar officially saying so either, but defining it this way is very disappointing.”

No government money will be used for the event, said Muaz, as it is being run in collaboration with businesses and religious groups.

Ablution facilities will be available from the stadium, but Muaz advised people to come fully prepared to avoid the long queues.

An Islamic NGO began the trend of slaughtering imported goats for Eid al-Fitr in 2010, but this is the first time the government has taken on the project. The animals are not indigenous to Maldives.

The goat slaughter is one of a series of events to celebrate the anniversary of the Maldives becoming independent from Britain in 1965. It had previously been a British protectorate since 1887.

Some 2,000 people including the vice president and criminal court chief judge swam from Villingili to Male’ last week in celebration of independence.

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‘Leaked letter’ revives claims over Afrasheem murder

A leaked letter apparently written by the now home minister has surfaced on social media repeating claims that President Abdulla Yameen was linked to the 2012 murder of MP and cleric Afrasheem Ali.

The letter – apparently from Umar Naseer, who went on to become home minister in 2013 – is addressed to ex-president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and asks him to refrain from supporting Yameen because Naseer has concrete evidence linking Yameen to Afrasheem’s murder.

However, Naseer tweeted on Wednesday: “A forged letter in my name is being distributed on social media”, and claimed that the signature on the letter was different from his own.

Naseer has a history of making such claims against Yameen, but retracted them when he joined the government in 2013. Yameen denies allegations from the opposition of corruption and affiliation with criminal groups.

The letter received dozens of retweets, with many social media users linking it with previous public comments by Naseer making accusations against Yameen – although one Twitter user labelled it an “April fool”.

At a 2013 rally, Naseer accused Yameen of having illicit connections with gangs, the drug trade and the murder of Afrasheem. His comments followed his defeat by Yameen in the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives  presidential primaries.

Naseer said he had witnessed a visit to Yameen at the PPM’s office by a suspect who was arrested and questioned by police over Afrasheem’s murder.

Naseer was subsequently dismissed from the party and went on to back Jumhooree Party (JP) candidate Gasim Ibrahim. He was appointed home minister when the JP joined the ruling party in a coalition, but after that coalition later broke up, he stayed in government and rejoined the PPM.

In an exclusive interview with Minivan News in January 2014, Naseer described his allegations against Yameen as merely “political rhetoric”.

“We were repeating MDP’s lines. What happens in presidential primaries is that you are competing for the top position of the nation, so you use every tool you have. I am now the home minister, but I do not see any indication of [Yameen] being involved in such acts,” said Naseer.

Afrasheem, an MP for the PPM representing Ungoofaaru constituency in Raa Atoll and also a moderate religious scholar, was stabbed to death outside his home on the night of October 1, 2012. Police said the killing was politically motivated.

He was known for taking relatively liberal positions on some religious issues, which had prompted criticism from other clerics. On a TV talk show on the night of his death, Afrasheem had apologised for “misunderstandings” over some of his religious views.

A 2012 UNDP study of the Maldives’ gang culture found that “political and business elites” exploit gangs to carry out illegal activities including the suppression of opponents and carrying out tasks to help maintain popularity or divert media attention from political issues.

There have also been growing links between gangs and religious extremists, with a series of secularist bloggers apparently targeted because of their views.

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Children create cards for ex-leader Nasheed

Hundreds of citizens from Male’ and Thulhaadhoo created cards for former president Mohamed Nasheed over the past week in events organised by MDP supporters.

Locals from Baa atoll Thulhaadhoo made cards for Nasheed on Saturday at an open event. The organisers will send the cards to the family of Nasheed, who was sentenced to 13 years in jail this month on terrorism charges over the detention of the chief judge of the criminal court while Nasheed was in power.

Last Wednesday, about 200 children gathered at Raalhugandu in Henveiru district in Male’ to make cards for Nasheed, whose trial was heavily criticised by groups including Amnesty International.

Toddlers, pre-teenagers and also young teenagers took part in the event. Some had brought cards from home while others sat down to make them at Raalhugandu.

The idea for the event came because family members of Nasheed, nicknamed “Anni”, have been receiving numerous hopeful and inspiring messages from the children about their hero, “Annibe” (Anni brother), through their parents, so a team from the MDP decided to organise a card making evening for children.

“We will free you, we will defeat the bad guys,” read a card made by Aabi, a nine-year-old boy.

Nasheed’s legal team has argued he was not given a fair trial, while bodies including the United Nations and Amnesty International have heavily criticised the process that led to his imprisonment. However, the government insists it was a fair trial conducted in accordance with local law.

Speaking to Minivan News, an eight-year-old boy named Zain said that Nasheed taught him how to play chess, and that he wants to have dinner with President Nasheed.

“Thirteen years is so long, I want to have dinner with you sooner,” wrote Zain.

Another card from Kyle, aged three, read: “Give my president lots of love and strength”, with a picture of Nasheed holding him when he was a few months old.

MDP Children 7

Speaking to Minivan News, MP Eva Abdulla, Nasheed’s cousin, said that some of the cards said things like “He is our hope”, “Come back soon” and “We miss you”.

“For us, what they have to say is very touching, even though at times it is emotionally draining for us, it is very nice to see these things and it gives us hope,” said Eva.

Fourteen-year-old Ana and 15-year-old Raayaa told Minivan News they would like to say, “Please free President Nasheed as soon as possible”.

“I am very sad he is in jail, he is not a terrorist,” said nine-year-old Eashaal on her card.

Eva said on Wednesday that lawyers and his family were working towards a way to take the items to Nasheed, who is currently being held at the Dhoonidhoo detention centre. Eva said that Nasheed has always had a “very good rapport” with children.

“He will be very happy to receive these, he loves children and if he could, he would definitely write back to each and every one of them,” said Eva.

Aina Ibrahim, 14 years old, gave her card to Zaya Laila Nasheed, President Nasheed’s youngest daughter.

“He fought for rights, freedom and justice in our country. He has made so many contributions and so much has been done, unlike during the autocratic rule,” she said.

Nasheed’s mother was also at Raalhugandu to collect the cards, along with other family members.

Nasheed has been arrested and detained dozens of times since he began campaigning for democracy in the Maldives.

“I grew up writing letters to him in jail and now my children are writing to him in jail. Children from the whole nation are writing to him in jail,” said Eva.

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Maldivians believe MPs switch parties for corrupt reasons

Most Maldivians are worried that MPs frequently switch parties in parliament because of corruption, a survey has found.

Eighty percent of people see party switching as connected to corruption, a report from Transparency Maldives indicates, showing that floor crossing is perceived to have a negative impact.

Another survey by Transparency last year showed that Maldivians had low levels of confidence in parliament.

In the latest survey, eighty-four percent of respondents said they believe floor crossing happens because money or some sort of gain is offered to parliamentarians in exchange for voting against their own party line or defecting.

Eighty-seven per cent of respondents believe there should be laws that prevent or restrict switching.

Transparency Maldives said that forcing MPs to reveal detailed financial holdings would help.

“The most necessary option is to implement a correct method of asset declaration, not just for the sake of it but in a manner involving detailed financial statements,” Thoriq Hamid, programme manager at Transparency, told reporters.

“There should also be vetting mechanisms for these statements. That is the role of Maldivian institutions like the anti-corruption commission and possibly the auditor general.”

Eighty-one percent said that floor crossing can undermine democracy and weaken the party system.

Transparency will share the report with parliamentarians and other institutions.

Floor crossing is a common occurrence in the Parliament of the Maldives.

The former MP for Feydhoo , Alhan Fahmy, was initially elected as a Dhivehi Rayyinthunge’ Party (DRP) candidate but he switched to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Later on he left them to join the Jumhooree Party (JP) and then again left the JP to rejoin the MDP.

Another such case is Abdulla Abdul Raheem. The MP who has changed parties the most, he was also elected as DRP candidate and left them to join the MDP. However, he again went back to the DRP within 24 hours. In 2012, he made another switch, this time to the JP, and then again signed to the MDP the very next year. He was expelled from the MDP in December 2013.

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives came to power last year with 33 MPs but another 10 joined them from other parties within four months.

These individuals have not been specifically accused of corruption, but they are among many MPs to have switched parties.

Transparency Maldives interviewed 200 randomly selected Maldivians for the survey.

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