Category: News in Brief

Two suspects charged with defrauding MVR18 million from Sheesha Brothers’ account deny charges

Three of the seven suspects charged in a case involving the fraudulent transfer of MVR 18 million from a State Bank of India account owned by the owners of Sheesha Motor Company, have denied charges against them.

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Retired Colonel Shakath Ibrahim, Ali Ashraf of Rasmaadhoo in Raa Atoll and Mohamed Musthafa of Lhaimagu in Lhaviyani Atoll denied charges in court today, while the other hearings have yet to be held.

According to local media, the court was unable to hand over summons two persons charged with the case as they were not in the country.

On November 24, 2011, the Sheesha owners discovered that several unauthorised transfers had been made from their joint personal savings account to an unidentified recipient.

Following the Sheesha brothers’ – Ahmed Hassan Manik, Hussain Husham and Ibrahim Husham – discovery, they told local media the SBI transfer had been made to a Bank of Maldives account with a forged document faxed to SBI with Manik’s name and signature. The brothers said they would sue SBI and requested the bank take full responsibility for the theft.

In November 2011, Hussain Husham told local media that the total amount of MVR 18 million was taken in two transactions.

The first transaction was made on November 9, 2011, with the amount of MVR 8.5 million (US$551,000) withdrawn. On December 20, the culprits withdrew an additional MVR 9.5 million (US$616,000) from the Sheesha brothers’ account.

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‘Real’ Maldives “tarnished by gang violence, drug addiction, unemployment, political corruption, religious extremism”: The National

Ahmed fears for the life of the Maldives’ first democratically elected president and well-known environmental campaigner, who is now fighting for re-election a year after a violent uprising forced him from power. And Ahmed should know – he says he was once offered the contract to carry out his assassination, writes Eric Randolph for the UAE’s publication The National.

Picture the Maldives, and you’re probably imagining crystalline waters and perfectly groomed white beaches. Yet outside the five-star resorts, real life is very different and the image of an idyllic paradise has been tarnished by the growing problems of gang violence, drug addiction, unemployment, political corruption and religious extremism.

Having been one of the most notorious members of one of the country’s most feared gangs, Ahmed (not his real name) knows this side of the Maldives all too well. We meet in the cramped one-bedroom “apartment” he shares with his parents and two siblings. Apartment is a stretch – it’s a small room down a dingy ground-floor corridor, walls painted a lurid green, with an extended bunk bed that somehow accommodates all five of them and takes up most of the space.

In 2006, a leading politician allegedly offered Ahmed a contract to kill “or severely injure” Mohamed Nasheed, the man who was trying to bring down the 30-year authoritarian rule of Maumoon Gayoom. Local politicians and elites had been using the gangs to run their drug and alcohol operations on the streets for several years by this point. Street fights over territory and girls were leading to nine or 10 deaths a year.

Ahmed won’t talk about the violence in his past, though at one stage he draws me a picture of the knives he used to carry at all times (guns, mercifully, have yet to make it to Maldives). “This is my favourite,” he says, pointing at a serrated blade that looks like a Christmas tree in his sketch.

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“Appalling state of women’s rights” threatens Maldives’ reputation as honeymoon destination: Independent

[UK Prime Minister] David Cameron faces calls to intervene in the case of a 15-year-old female rape victim sentenced to 100 lashes in the Maldives as new figures showed the appalling state of women’s rights in the Commonwealth country, writes Jane Merrick for the UK’s Independent newspaper.

British couples are being asked to avoid the Maldives as a honeymoon destination to force the country’s government to overturn the conviction of the girl, who was given the draconian sentence after being raped by her stepfather.

Many of the 500,000 tourists who holiday on the “paradise” islands every year are unaware of the country’s appalling record on women’s rights, with not one single conviction for rape in the past three years.

The Maldivian government’s own figures show that 90 per cent of people sentenced to flogging are female, while one in three women between the ages of 15 and 49 have suffered physical or sexual abuse over the past five years.

A new poll of Maldivians for the global campaign group Avaaz reveals that 92 per cent of people think laws to protect girls and women from sexual assault should be reformed, while 79 per cent think current systems are not adequate or fair. The Asia Research partners poll also reveals that 73 per cent think punishments for sexual crimes are unfair to women, while 62 per cent want a reintroduction of the moratorium on flogging.

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Sea House restaurant to host free jazz concert on July 8

The Sea House restaurant in Male’ is set to host a free jazz concert tomorrow ( July 8 ) in collaboration with Alliance Française Maldives (AFM).

The concert, which begins at 9:00pm, will feature classic jazz saxophonist Jean-Pierre Baraglioli and tabla player Peshala Manoj.

AFM, an NGO providing French language courses and other cultural events in the Maldives since 2009, last month hosted an evening of free musical performances by Maldivian and French artists at Male’ City Hall as part of its annual Fête de la Musique celebrations.

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President’s Office announces Ramadan working hours

The President’s Office has announced that its official working hours during Ramadan will be between 9:00am to 1:30pm.

The reduced working hours, which will come into effect for the Islamic holy month, are the same as those adopted in previous years, according to the President’s Office website.

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PPM pledges harsher punishments for assaulting police, ‘obstructing police duty’

Punishments for obstructing police duty and assaulting police officers will be made harsher under a Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) administration, according to PPM vice presidential candidate and former Home Minister Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, reports local media.

Jameel noted that punishments for those who call for attacking police will be made harsher by amending the Penal Code as part of PPM’s policy for maintaining peace and security.

He pledged that a PPM government would try and ‘wrap up’ all criminal investigations and send them for prosecution within a month, as well as make “major changes” to investigative mechanisms.

“At the end of the party’s first five-year period, mechanisms will be set up to facilitate for prosecution to proceed within 24 hours,” said Jameel.

Surveillance mechanisms will be installed “across the whole Maldives” as well as “state-of-the-art forensic facilities”, he added.

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Investigative “difficulties” prevent holding GIP, DRP, MDA accountable for fraudulent party enlistment: Maldives Police Service

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) is experiencing “difficulties” investigating the 47 cases of fraudulent political party enlistment, with “no way” to hold the respective political parties accountable, reports local media.

Investigations are underway for 46 cases of fraudulent enlistment – including by already deceased people – filed by the Elections Commission (EC) and one individually lodged, MPS Chief Inspector Abdulla Shatheeh told local media.

The fraudulent political party forms include 15 from President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s Gaumee Ithihad Party (GIP), five from his Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) running mate Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, and 27 from prominent businessman and MP Ahmed Siyam’s Maldives Democratic Alliance (MDA).

“Police are finding it difficult to pinpoint the culprits behind the fraudulent forms due to the absence of fingerprints on the forms and the process under which the forms were filled,” said Shatheeh.

“Under such circumstances there was no way to hold the respective political party accountable for the fraudulent forms,” he added.

Thus far only one case with “sufficient evidence” has been investigated and forward for prosecution, Shatheeh noted.

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President Waheed commences visit to Sri Lanka

President Dr Mohamed Waheed departed on an official visit to Sri Lanka Friday (July 5) .

According to the President’s Office website, Dr Waheed left Male’ yesterday evening accompanied by First Lady Ilham Hussain.

President Waheed has told local media ahead of the visit – his second to the country since coming to office controversially last year – that he would be holding bilateral talks on various issues such as requesting supply of materials like construction gravel.  He is also expected to request amendments to current visa arrangements for Maldivian nationals.

The president will use the visit to meet with diplomats to speak about the latest developments in the country.

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Food and drink outlets given later closing times during Ramadan

Food and drink outlets such as cafes and restaurants will be permitted to remain open until 3:00am during Ramadan this year, local media has reported.

The extended closing time has been approved in order to cater for late dining during the Islamic holy month, Economic Development Minister Ahmed Mohamed has told Sun Online.

Retail stores will still be required to be closed by 11:00PM as normal.

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