Category: News in Brief

Former President Mohamed Nasheed to return from Umrah on Wednesday

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Presidential Candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed will be returning to Male’ after completing Umra pilgrimage in Mecca, reports local media outlet Channel News Maldives.

Nasheed left to Saudi Arabia last Saturday and spent the following two days in the pilgrimage. According to local media reports, the former president was accompanied by the Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid and former Attorney General Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad.

Meanwhile the MDP has said that a special event will be organised on next Wednesday to exhibit 100,000 photos taken during Nasheed’s trips to the islands.

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President Waheed inaugurates Thaa Atoll, Dhaalu Atoll road developments

President Dr Mohamed Waheed yesterday (August 5) inaugurated two separate road development projects on the islands of Vilufushi in Thaa Atoll and Kudahuvadhoo in Dhaalu Atoll.

Speaking on Vilufushi, Dr Waheed said the projects were part of a nationwide commitment undertaken by his administration to build roads over the last two years. Nine roads were expected to be built in Vilufushi alone, according to the President’s Office website.

President Waheed added that with Vilufushi being one of the islands most severely impacted in the Maldives during the 2004 Asian Tsunami, a greater number of services still needed to be provided to the local population living there.

According to the President’s Office, Dr Waheed also shared specifics of government development plans for the island.

The president’s campaigning has recently come under criticism from rivals standing against him in the upcoming election.

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) – part of his current coalition government – has accused Dr Waheed of using state resources to campaign for his own Gaumee Ihthihad Party (GIP) ahead of the upcoming presidential election scheduled for September 7.

PPM Presidential candidate MP Abdulla Yameen back in May said he understood “concerns” raised by MDP candidate Mohamed Nasheed regarding President Waheed’s use of state resources for campaigning.

“That is, the way [the government] is doing things, there are problems over whether we could reach free and fair elections. The Auditor General and ACC [Anti-Corruption Commission] have taken note of this,” he said at the time.

The PPM has nonetheless pledged to continue supporting President Waheed’s government up until September’s election, despite concerns about the decision to dismiss former Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed after he decided to stand as MP Yameen’s running mate.

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Court releases 47 year-old arrested for molesting two minors

The island court of Thimarafushi in Thaa Atoll has released a 47 year-old man arrested on charges of molesting two minors aged 13 and 17.

Police confirmed that the man had been released by the court after he was taken to court for the extension of his detention period

The local media reports state that the 47 year-old man was the manager of the state-owned utilities company, Fenaka, on Guraidhoo in Thaa Atoll.

Newspaper ‘Sun’ Online reported police as telling the paper that the two minors had testified against the accused.

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India needs Nasheed win in September: First Post

India may pat itself on the back as former President of Maldives Mohammed Nasheed has been confirmed as a candidate in the 7 September presidential elections by the Election Commission of Maldives, writes Rajeev Sharma for First Post.

Nasheed came calling in New Delhi this week on a two-pronged mission: (i) to thank his Indian friends without whose support he won’t have made it to the Presidential race; and (ii) to once again sensitise his Indian interlocutors to prevent “many a slip between the cup and the lip” kind of situation in his case.

Let’s be clear about Nasheed’s India mission.

He was here primarily centered on the ‘take’ part as he is not in a position to ‘give’ anything to India. His ‘give’ quotient, however, should not be underestimated as the first concrete deliverable he can give to India, particularly to the poll-bound UPA government, is to reverse the executive decision of the Maldives government to terminate the US$500 million GMR contract for the development and upgrade of the Male International Airport, the single largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Maldives ever got.

The GMR deal continues to be the single biggest obsession for the Congress-led UPA government, which if reversed, will inevitably yield the necessary electoral fire-power to the present Indian government. Such a development will allow the UPA government to tell the foreign policy-savvy electorate (though a small number) that Maldives is not lost to India!

Read more

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Police arrest man for sexual abuse of two minors

Police have arrested a 47 year-old on multiple charges of sexual abuse against two minors over several days on Guraidhoo in Thaa Atoll.

Police said the man was arrested last night at around 9:30pm, under an arrest warrant.

According to the police investigation, the man was alleged to have been sexually abusing two girls aged 17 and 13 years-old.

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Police charge two men for homosexuality on Fokaidhoo

Police have sent the names of two Maldivian men charged for homosexuality to the Prosecutor General’s office for prosecution in the Criminal Court.

Police identified the two men from Fokaidhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, aged 19 and 44 years-old.

Police arrested the pair on May 24, 2013 while they were allegedly performing homosexual acts in the kitchen of a hotel on Fokaidhoo island.

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Man dies following Fuvamulah motorcycle accident

A 28 year-old man injured in collision between two motorbikes on Fuvamulah in Gnaviyani Atoll has died.

The police identified the man as Mohamed Shujau of Atha house.

According to police the accident occurred last night at around 8:25 pm on Mohamed Jamaluddeen Naibu Thuthu Road. Shujau received serious injuries to his head, nose and face.

Police said the other motorbike involved in the accident was driven by two minors, one of whom was admitted to Fuvamulak Hospital ICU and later brought Male’ for further treatment.

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New police station on Landhoo in Noonu Atoll destroyed in fire

Police have said a new police station built on the island of Landhoo in Noonu Atoll has burned down.

In a statement police said the station was set ablaze at about 2:00am this morning, with the entire building destroyed beyond repair.

Police said the fire was controlled in 20 minutes with the help of islanders.

According to police, the building was built using the money of islanders.

Manadhoo island police station is now investigating the case.

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Maldives police contemplate stationing officers in Sri Lanka, India

Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz has revealed plans are being discussed to station Maldivian officers in Sri Lanka and India from next year as part of efforts to curb the trafficking of illicit drugs into the country.

In an interview with Haveeru, Commissioner Riyaz said that considering the suspected heavy involvement of foreigners smuggling drugs into the Maldives, officers from the country may need to be based at Maldivian embassies in several neighbouring countries to try and curb the illegal trade.

Riyaz also spoke of the need to introduce rehabilitation programs in the country’s prisons.

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