Category: Society & Culture

Lawyers hold crisis meeting over new Supreme Court regulation

Top lawyers in the Maldives held a crisis meeting last night at the SHE Building to discuss the Supreme Court’s new “Regulation on Lawyers practicing law in the courts of Maldives” which demand that lawyers must to be registered to a court in order to be able to represent their clients in it.

Article 2.2 of the said regulation states: “Anyone who can represent in any court of law in the Maldives, shall be a person who has the license to practice law in the country, and shall also be registered accordingly as a lawyer in the given court to practice law.”

The regulation also restricts lawyers from openly criticising the discrepancies that take place within the courts.

The lawyers expressed concerns over the regulation citing that it would impose “difficulties for lawyers to represent their clients”.

The meeting was attended by senior lawyers of the country including the former Attorney General Abdulla Muiz, Deputy Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem and MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed, formed a sub-committee to work on behalf of the lawyers to amend the regulation.

Local news website Sun Online quoted an attendee as stating that the lawyers had identified a lot of difficulties with the new regulation.

“We decided to meet and discuss with the authorities regarding the regulations. This is something that all lawyers agreed was necessary,” he said.

One of the main concerns raised by the lawyers regarding the new regulations were that if they were to represent their clients in island magistrate courts, they would need to register in the given island magistrate court prior to appearing in the court.

Given the difficulty of transportation to islands, their concerns were that it could put in a further burden on lawyers to go to the island and register there.

With the new regulation, the Civil Court, the Criminal Court and the Juvenile Court have opened the opportunity for lawyers to register in the courts.

An MDP lawyer who took part in the discussion said the meeting was closed and would not reveal details of the discussion.

However, Minivan News understands that the lawyers are proposing to amend certain sections of the regulations, particularly the requirements that the lawyers register in island magistrate courts.

Speaking to Minivan News, Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitutional Assembly that drafted the current constitution of the Maldives, Ibrahim ‘Ibra’ Ismail, said he believed that the Supreme Court did not have the authority to make such a regulation.

He also said that Supreme Court cannot have a say on the procedures of other courts, which he believed was interfering with the jurisdiction of those courts, and that it was not a duty of the Supreme Court to decide the rules that lawyers have to follow.

“If you look into other democratic countries, the matters relating to the lawyers are administered by a bar association. At the moment we do not have a bar association, but I remember that it was the Attorney General (AG)’s office that has been issuing the license to practice law and maintaining a lawyer’s database. It should be the AG who makes such a regulation,” he said.

The Attorney General’s office is currently headed by Azima Shukoor, formerly lawyer to President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Regarding the article 2.2 of the regulation, Ismail stated that he believed that once a lawyer gets his license to practice law in the country, he should be able to practice it without further obstruction.

Ismail also criticised the stipulation which demands lawyers not openly criticise the courts, describing it as limiting the fundamental right of freedom of expression in the constitution. Only legislation from the parliament could do so, he said.

“What they are trying to do is to cover up the mouths that speak of the [court’s] discrepancies. They know that when a lawyer speaks about the problems in the court, people will believe them more than when a politician does,” he said.

“I have always warned that the Supreme Court is slowly trying to exceed its mandate by interfering with the powers of other institutions. This regulation is just another step of that process,” he said.

The regulation would at the end of the day cause difficulties for ordinary people in obtaining legal representation, he said, and particularly impact the ability of islanders to receive justice.

“We have a very limited number of lawyers, and most of them live the capital Male’. If a person living on an island wants the services of a lawyer for a case going on in his island magistrate court, what will he do if there are no lawyers registered in that magistrate court?” he questioned.

“At the end of the day it is going to be the ordinary people who will suffer from such a regulation,” he said.

Ismail has been a vocal critic on the discrepancies of the courts and was previously reprimanded by the Supreme Court for calling on the public to “rise up and sort out the judges”, at a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally in Kaafu Thulusdhoo on September last year.

He was later summoned to police for questioning after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) requested the former Male’ MP be investigated.

When Minivan News contacted the Supreme Court, the officials refused to answer any questions, and demanded that any inquiries be send in an official letter. Once they received it, they would look into it, the court said.

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Seventeen year-old boy and an expatriate worker stabbed

A 17 year-old boy and an expatriate worker were stabbed in two different areas of Male’ on Saturday evening, according to police.

According to police, the 17 year-old boy was stabbed by two men that arrived on a motorbike last night at about 4:30am while he was walking near Olhuveli Road in Maafannu ward.

The boy was stabbed in the back and is currently undergoing treatment at Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

Police said the expat attacked last night was a 29 year-old man who was attacked while he was on Sosun Magu in Henveiru.

The man was also stabbed in the back by two men that came on a motorbike, police said.

According to the police, the victim is currently undergoing treatment at ADK Hospital. Neither victim was critically injured, police said.

No arrests have been made following the incidents but police are searching for the assailants. Police have not revealed names of any suspects.

So far in June 86 cases of assault have been reported to police, according to police statistics.

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State appeals High Court ruling favouring Sultans of the Seas in US$8.5 million fraud case

The state has appealed a High Court judgment overruling a Civil Court verdict ordering luxury yachting company Sultans of the Seas to pay Rf110.2 million (US$7.1 million) in fines and unpaid duties.

In September 2009, Maldives Custom Service filed a case at the Civil Court to recover US$8.5 million in fines and unpaid customs duties from Sultans of the Seas – a company associated with the family of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader and Kendhoo MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali – for allegedly defrauding customs to evade import duties for two luxury yachts.

At a press conference in June 2009, Director of Customs Abdul Rasheed Ibrahim revealed that Sultans evaded import duties for two Italian Azimut yachts, imported in December 2007 and March 2008.

“In the invoices, they said they purchased two used launches,” Rasheed explained, adding that an investigation by the customs internal audit discovered that Sultans had purchased two of Azimut’s latest models, which cost 12.3 million euros or Rf226 million (US$17.7 million).

However, the quoted price in the invoices and documents the company submitted to customs was Rf18 million (US$1.4 million).

While the Civil Court ruled in favour of customs in late 2009, the High Court overruled the verdict late last year.

According to local daily Haveeru, at the first Supreme Court hearing last Monday, State Attorney Ahmed Usham explained that the state decided to appeal the High Court ruling because the evidence was sufficient to establish fraud as documents submitted by Sultans claimed that the vessels were used when the two luxury speedboats were brand new.

The fraud was discovered when information was clarified through the Bank of Maldives Plc Ltd (BML), Usham added.

Sultan’s attorney Ibrahim Riza however argued that Sultans should not be held responsible for the actions of the former collector of customs and insisted that the Bank of Maldives documents did not clearly state that the vessels were new.

Adjourning the hearing, Justice Ali Hameed said a further hearing would only be held if the court wished to clarify certain matters after studying the appeal.

In May this year, former Principal Collector of Customs Ibrahim Shafiu, also ex-registrar of DRP until the 2008 presidential election, was charged with corruption for his role in the Sultans fraud case.

Shafiu had been living in Canada since former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s election defeat and returned to the Maldives following the controversial transfer of power in February.

Shafiu was charged with abuse of authority for allegedly helping change details of the yachts through his influence over the valuation committee to decrease duty payable for the vessels. The former DRP registrar pleaded not guilty to the charges.

BML loans

Gayoom and ThasmeenMeanwhile in October 2011, the High Court upheld Civil Court verdicts ordering Mahandhoo Investments and Kabalifaru Investments – two resort businesses with close ties to DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and running mate of former President Gayoom in 2008 – to repay millions of dollars worth of loans to the Bank of Maldives.

DRP MP Mohamed Nashiz, brother of the DRP leader and managing director of Kabaalifaru, and DRP MP Ali Azim, a loan guarantor, were among the appellants at the High Court.

Both MPs had signed ‘joint and several guarantee and indemnity’ agreements for the loans issued in mid-2008.

In the first case involving Mahandhoo Investments, BML had issued a US$23.5 million demand loan, a US$103,200 bank guarantee and US$30,090 letter of credit on July 10, 2008.

The second case meanwhile involved a US$3.3 million loan issued to Kabaalifaru Investment and the appeal of a Civil Court verdict on September 30, 2009 ordering the company to settle the debt in the next 12 months.

Both verdict were however appealed at the High Court and remained stalled for almost two years before the rulings in October 2011.

Moreover, in December 2009, the Civil Court ordered Sultans of the Seas to pay over Rf654 million (US$50 million) in unpaid loans, fines and accumulated interest to the Bank of Maldives in the course of one year.

Ruling in favour of the bank, Judge Aisha Shujoon said the company was liable for loans of US$15.3 million, US$8.7 million and €12.5 million as well as US$500,000 in combined credit limit facilities as agreed upon in June 2008.

The judge ruled that records and documents presented to court proved that as of December 7, 2009, Sultans owes US$18 million on the first demand loan, US$10 million on the second and €14 million on the third.

In a BML audit report released in January 2009, Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem warned that defaults on bank loans issued to influential political players could jeopardise the entire financial system of the country.

Over 60 per cent of the US$633 million worth of loans issued in 2008 was granted to 12 parties, the report noted.

According to the report, US$45 million was issued to Sultans of the Seas and US$36 million to Fonnadhoo Tuna Products, two loans which comprised 13 per cent of the total loans issued in 2008.

The report noted that Fonaddhoo was owned by DRP Leader Thasmeen while the owners of Sultans of the Seas were closely associated with the former minority leader of parliament.

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Construction chief calls on government to impose occupational safety act

The relatively small number of building site deaths recorded in the Maldives in recent years is more the result of “good fortune” rather than industry commitments to safety, the head of one of the country’s most prominent construction industry bodies has warned this week.

Mohamed Ali Janah, President of the Maldives Association of Construction Industry (MACI), told Minivan News that he believed a lack of national regulations outlining health and safety obligations at the nation’s building sites was a major point of concern needing to be addressed. He added that despite there being “not many deaths” attributed to the Maldives construction industry, laws still needed to be passed to ensure the safety of staff.

According to Janah, when assessing the standards of occupational health and safety on the country’s construction sites there were very few places in the world that “would accept the way work is conducted here in the Maldives”.

The comments were made after the Maldives Police Service police confirmed Tuesday (June 19) that a Bangladesh national working in the capital had died from injuries sustained during a fall from the sixth floor of a building site.

Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said that the construction company operating the site has said that “all safety measures” has been enforced at the time of the incident. However, after police interviewed the deceased’s co-workers, Haneef said it had been alleged that no such safety measures were adopted at the site.

When questioned by Minivan News about what actions the police may look to take in relation to the incident, the police spokesperson said he could not comment further on the case while investigations were ongoing.

Regulation

While the Centre for Community Health and Diseases Control (CCHDC) is presently said to be working on drafting regulations that would impose safety standards on the industry, authorities have told Minivan News that there is presently no legal framework compelling construction workers to adopt occupational health measures.

According to MACI head Janah, this lack of regulation – as well as strong pressure for cost-cutting within the construction industry – were proving to be major setbacks in ensuring industry-wide improvements in health and safety.

“The issue of occupational health and safety has been a problem for years now. There are presently no laws encouraging construction companies to adopt safety standards in the workplace,” he said. “Clients are also not setting aside money to ensure health and safety measures are being met. People just don’t understand the importance of it in the workplace.”

Janah claimed that there were already a number of construction companies within the country acting in a responsible manner when it comes to ensuring employee safety. Yet despite the efforts of such companies to hold daily safety drills and other on-site programmes, he added that the industry’s work was being tarnished by other construction groups that were failing to meet their obligations.

“The majority of small and medium sized [construction] companies are not being paid or compensated to ensure employee safety, which makes it very difficult for them to adapt,” he added.

Janah said that MACI set out official guidelines late last year to try and ensure the organisation’s members were prioritising employee safety.  However, he conceded that these guidelines were not a substitute for regulation, calling on the government to press ahead with passing legislation on mandatory safety obligations for construction workers.

Janah said he was “very sad” at the death of the construction worker who fell to his death this week in Male’ and pointed out that it was “not the first time” a construction employee had been injured or killed working on a building site in the capital.

“The employee was not believed to be wearing any safety gear when he died. This is shocking. Fortunately there have not been many deaths in construction here,” he said. “We will only see health and safety measures being adopted though when companies are willing to pay for it. However, if there is regulation, then there are also safety standards that companies will be forced to adhere to.”

When contacted today about the potential nature of safety regulations for the construction industry, the Ministry of Human Resources Youth and Sport forwarded Minivan News to the country’s Labour Relations Authority (LRA).

The LRA’s Assistant Director, Aishath Nafa Ahmed said it had already been looking to establish a regulation that would outline occupational health requirements at construction sites in future. According to Ahmed, the LRA was presently powerless to take action against an employer found to be operating unsafe sites under existing regulation.

“We can at present go to a site and inform employers about safety, but we do not have powers to act on possible concerns,” she said. “Last year, we ourselves started on a draft regulation as well within the ministry. But I do not know whether this got completed or not.”

Ahmed added that from her understanding, the country’s CCHDC had also been working to outline an act on worker safety that was designed to try and cut down on incidents such as the construction site death seen this week.

“They did send us an outline in April about [worker safety],” she said.

High commission concerns

Among those to have expressed concern this week at the work-site death of a foreign national and wider issues of occupational safety on the country’s construction sites, the High Commission of Bangladesh in Male’ said it had “raised concerns on a regular basis” over the safety of occupational health in the country for its nationals.

High Commissioner Rear Admiral Abu Saeed Mohamed Abdul Awal said that he had been in touch with representatives in the country over trying to “ensure” that sufficient safety measures were being afforded to workers in the country.

“We have been interacting with officials at various levels here about this issue. It is an ongoing process,” he added.

“Bad employers”

Last month, Commissioner Awal said he believed workers from Bangladesh were regularly being brought to the Maldives to perform unskilled work, usually in the construction industry, alleging that upon arriving, expatriates from Bangladesh were suffering from the practices of ”bad employers”.

“This is a real problem that is happening here, there have been many raids over the last year on unskilled [expatriate] workers who are suffering because of the companies employing them. They are not being given proper salaries and are paying the price for some of these employers,” he said.

Rear Admiral Awar added that it was the responsibility of employers to ensure expatriate staff had the proper documentation, suitable living standards and safe working environments.

Concerns about the treatment of expatriates from across the South Asia region were also shared by Indian High Commissioner Dynaneshwar Mulay. Speaking to Minivan News in April, Mulay raised concerns over the general treatment of Indian expatriates in the Maldives, particularly by the country’s police and judiciary.

Mulay claimed that alongside concerns about the treatment of some Indian expatriates in relation to the law, there were significant issues relating to “basic human rights” that needed to be addressed concerning expatriates from countries including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Big business

Beyond concerns about the basic human rights of foreign employees in the country, labour trafficking is also believed to represent a significant national economic issue.

An ongoing police investigation into labour trafficking in the Maldives last year uncovered an industry worth an estimated US$123 million, eclipsing fishing (US$46 million in 2007) as the second greatest contributor of foreign currency to the Maldivian economy after tourism.

The authorities’ findings echo concerns first raised by former Bangladeshi High Commissioner Dr Selina Muhsin, reported by Minivan News in August 2010. The comments by Mushin were made shortly after the country was placed on the US State Department’s Tier 2 watchlist for human trafficking.

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Police deny Amnesty International reports of “excessive force” against demonstrators

Police have refuted “in the harshest terms” allegations of police brutality by Amnesty International, after the human rights body released a statement on June 11 condemning the “excessive use of force” against demonstrators.

Amnesty’s statement followed its investigation of the police crackdown on a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) protest against the dismantling of the MDP’s Usfasgandu protest camp on May 29 – a crackdown which included “beatings, pepper-spraying, and arrests. Those attacked include peaceful demonstrators, members of parliament, journalists and bystanders.”

In a press release yesterday, police insisted that “the minimum required force” was used to arrest 52 protesters on May 29, which included those who “obstructed police from performing their duty” and “disobeyed and resisted orders” as well as others taken into custody “on suspicion of attempting to inflict physical injury on police officers” and “for behaving in ways that cause loss of public order.”

Minivan News however observed one protester sustain a head injury after he was hit in the head by a baton, and was rushed to hospital in a pickup truck refueling at the nearby petrol shed.

Local daily Haveeru uploaded video footage showing violent confrontations between police and demonstrators during the arrests.

Minivan News also witnessed a cameraman from local TV station Raajje TV being pepper-sprayed by police while he was attempting to film police arresting a demonstrator.

Police brutality

“Incalculable damage”

The police statement noted that a report on the day’s events by a monitoring team from the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) “stated in very clear terms that excessive force was not used to arrest those among the demonstrators who threw objects at police, used obscene language and tried to obstruct police duties and that no physical harm was caused by police.”

The HRCM monitoring team however observed a police officer chase two demonstrators and strike them with his baton on the night of May 29. After protesting behind police barricades at the Usfasgandu area, MDP supporters began to gather at the intersection of Chandanee Magu and Majeedhee Magu in the centre of Male’ around 8:45pm.

The police statement explained that force was used to disperse the crowd at the Chandhanee Magu junction after protesters began throwing rocks at police officers from a construction site in the area.

“While six police officers sustained varying degrees of injury during the disturbances that day, two police vehicles were severely damaged,” reads the statement.

It added that police have concluded investigations of five demonstrators taken into custody on May 29 – including MDP MP Imthiyaz Fahmy ‘Inthi’ – and forwarded the cases for prosecution.

Police also noted that “very few complaints” were lodged concerning alleged misconduct and brutality by police officers.

A complaint by Maimoona Haleem, wife of former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem, alleging excessive use of force in her arrest was being investigated by the police professional standard command, the statement revealed.

According to the Amnesty statement, ‘Mana’ Haleem was “walking home with her female friend in Majeedee Magu Street when police stopped them and began beating them repeatedly with their batons on their arms, back and hips before taking them in a van to the police station.”

“In her testimony Mana Haleem says: ‘I asked why we were being held, but received no answer. Later, they [police] told us it was because we had not obeyed their orders. We asked them how we could have disobeyed their orders if they had not given any, but they were not interested. I have bruises on my shoulder, my back and my hip.'”

However, the police statement claimed that in addition to a complaint filed at the HRCM by a detained demonstrator alleging the use of obscene language during his arrest, no complaints were lodged at the Police Integrity Commission (PIC), the oversight body for police.

The police statement slammed Amnesty for not reporting the “incalculable damage caused to police officers and property” during the MDP protest.

“Maldives Police Service calls on Amnesty International to clarify information from the relevant authorities and state the facts impartially and without bias when issuing such reports in the future,” the statement reads.

The statement concluded by urging “anyone with a complaint regarding police conduct” to formally lodge complaints at independent institutions.

In previous reports highlighting human rights abuse by police, Amnesty has noted police response denying the allegations and its recommendation that victims complain to HRCM.

“HRCM has told Amnesty International that they have serious limitations in terms of trained investigative staff and dealing with human rights issues in a highly politicised environment is an overwhelming challenge for them,” Amnesty has previously noted.

“By referring cases of police abuse of power to the HRCM, when it is clear that such investigations are beyond its capacity, the government is in effect forfeiting its own responsibility to enforce respect for human rights within the police force,” the organisation noted.

“Minimum force”

In its statement on the May 29 incidents, Amnesty had said that despite police claims to have used “the minimum required force to dismantle the area and arrest unruly demonstrators”, “it is clear that by far the majority of demonstrators were not using violence, and any such incidents cannot be used by police as an attempt to justify the ill-treatment of bystanders and those rallying peacefully.”

“Amnesty International believes that the police response to the demonstrations on 29 May was a clear example of excessive use of force.”

Amnesty’s statement included testimony from a number of protesters, noting that the latest reports “are consistent with many other testimonies Amnesty International has gathered previously.”

“One woman protesting peacefully in Majeedee Magu Street told Amnesty International that police officers suddenly pushed into them, and hit her and other peaceful demonstrators with their riot shields. Police hit them repeatedly on their back, and then pepper-sprayed them, aiming at their face and eyes. She said that police grabbed one demonstrator by the neck, shouted at him to open his mouth, and sprayed directly into his mouth,” the human rights organisation reported.

“Police also beat bystanders who showed no signs of violence. An eyewitness saw a man sitting on a stationary motorbike taking no active part in the demonstrations. Police went for him and hit him on his head with their batons. He lost consciousness. His friends took him to a nearby house where they arranged private medical treatment for him – they did not take him to hospital straight away as they were afraid he would be arrested.”

Amnesty called on countries supplying police and military equipment to the Maldives, particularly pepper-spray, to ensure that the substance was not being used to commit human rights violations.

“Any country that knowingly supplies police or military equipment to a force that uses them to commit human rights violations is itself partly responsible for those violations,” the human rights organisation warned.

“Amnesty International is calling on the government of Maldives to halt attacks on peaceful demonstrators including beating and pepper-spraying; bring to justice any police personnel who have used excessive force; ensure that security forces in the Maldives receive comprehensive training on what constitutes human rights violations, which they should not commit.”

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PG receive cases against six suspects in Shifan murder case

The police on Wednesday requested the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) charge six people in connection to the murder of 33 year-old Ali Shifan ‘Tholhi Palay’, third victim to be killed in the spree of gang-related stabbings across capital Male’.

A statement released by the police says that cases have been forwarded against: Ali Nabeeh,22, of M.Nalahiyaa Manzil, Mohamed Shaifan,18, of Male’ Dhaftharu no 3912,  Razzan Abdu Rahman,19, of Kaanimaage house in Thulhaadhoo island of Baa atoll,  Abdul Thilmeez,20, of M.Thilmeez,  Mohamed Asif,19, of Maafahi house inKurendhoo island of Lhaviyani atoll and Mohamed Mishaan Abdul Haadhy,20, of M.Silver Nest.

The attack widowed Shifan’s wife of three years.

Shifan was attacked at about 4:15pm on April 1 outside the Westpark restaurant on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, the outer ring road of Male’.

He was stabbed multiple times in the back and arms by two men on a GN motor bike as he stepped out of a restaurant to meet a friend, the police said. He had no previous records of any gang involvement, police confirmed. But it was unclear as to why he was targeted in a gang related attack.

“Shifan was a very peace loving man and he always said he did not want war,’’ a friend of Shifan previously told Minivan News, claiming the assailants attacked Shifan because of his friends, who were themselves  allegedly involved in a previous gang attack.

The source also alleged the attack was politically motivated and that gangs were being set against each other.

Prior to the brutal stabbing of 33 year-old Shifan on April 1, a pair of 21 year-olds – Abdul Muheeth and Ahusan Basheer -were stabbed to death on February 19 and March 17 respectively. Both cases are now in court with charges against a total of nine people, including four minors.

In addition to these murders, a 16 year-old boy named Mohamed Arham was also found dead with multiple stab wounds on May 30, while controversial blogger and journalist Hilath Rasheed made a miraculous recovery from a fatal attack in which his throat was slit by the assailants. Both cases are currently under investigation. No arrests have been made.

Several more victims, including expatriates, have been brutally injured or killed in gang related attacks.

The spate of stabbings and murders have provoked pressures from the public to impose stricter punishments to the perpetrators. Families of the victims have both in court and in public platforms are calling for justice and the death penalty to be implemented to curb the increasing gang violence.

Though the Islamic Sharia and the penal code states death penalty as a punishment, it has not been executed for decades. Death penalty sentences are traditionally changed to life imprisonment.

The government has meanwhile said it will not hesitate to implement death sentences if the parliament approves it.

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All family members of murdered Ahusan Basheer approve death sentence for minors if guilty

The Juvenile Court has said that murder victim’s Ahusan Basheer’s eight inheritors have now approved a possible death sentence for the male and female minor charged with his murder, if the court finds them guilty.

In May this year four members of Ahusan Basheer’s family were summoned to the Juvenile court to clarify if they had any objection to the death sentence being passed on the two minors charged with the murder of Ahusan. All four approved it.

The Juvenile Court said four more members of Ahusan’s family were summoned to Hithadhoo Court in Addu City to clarify if they would approve death sentence – they also approved it.

Article 88[d] of the Maldives Penal Code of the Maldives stated that murders should be dealt with according to Islamic Sharia and that persons found guilty of murder “shall be executed” if no inheritor of the victim objects, according to Islamic Sharia.

Home Minister Dr Ahmed Jameel has recently told the media that he would not hesitate to implement death sentence if the parliament determines it just.

Dr Jameel told the local media that the sentence for gang related crimes and assaults using sharp objects have to be changed to a sentence that the criminals fear.

He also said it was time the parliament determined appropriate penalties for such crimes and said he would not hesitate to implement any verdict.

Jameel said he will amend parole regulations in such a way that those convicted of murders, gang related crimes and stabbings will not be eligible for parole.

Ahusan Basheer, was stabbed to death in the early hours of March 17.

Although Maldives Penal Code allows death sentence, it has traditionally been commuted to 25 years in prison.

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Maldives prepares for Ramadan: English sermons, breakfast buffets, shopping

Friday sermons will be delivered in English at one of the mosques in capital Male’ during Ramadan, the Islamic Ministry has reported, as the country prepares for the holy month.

Ramadan in 2012 will start on July 20 and will continue for 30 days until Saturday, August 18.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed told local media that the ministry has received several requests for English sermons from expatriates living in Maldives.

“We have decided to try it out during Ramadan, because there are several foreign diplomats and teachers in Maldives,” Shaheem told Sun Online. “They don’t understand the sermon delivered in Dhivehi. They are more likely to be educated and informed if the sermon is given in English.”

Requests have been forwarded to the Al Azhar University to send scholars to deliver the sermons, the ministry says.

The mosque at which the Friday sermon will be delivered has not yet been disclosed.

Every Ramadan, Islamic Scholars from abroad visit Maldives for preaching and sometimes lead the congregation in the Taraweeh, special evening prayers in which long portions of the Qur’an are recited.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a time of fasting, is one of the five pillars of Islam and represents a form of worship to Allah. Each day during this month, Muslims all over the world abstain from eating, drinking, sex, smoking, as well as participating in anything that is ill-natured or excessive; from dawn until the sun sets.

For centuries the locals have observed fasting with unique religious and non-religious traditions.

Maldivians make generous donations to Zakaath (Alms) funds and congregations at the mosques grow noticeably during Ramadan. Both expatriates and locals swarm the mosques, which offer dates and water for breaking the fast.

Furthermore, each year as Ramadan draws near, people buy new furniture and kitchenware and remake their homes – an opportunity the shops do not fail to take full advantage of.

Shops across the country, big or small, prepare for the “Pre-Ramadan shopping rush” with discounted prices and promotions. The largest crowd of shoppers will be spotted at the Night Market, annual bazaar organised by the Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI). This year’s 10-day bazaar will open on July 1.

Meanwhile, the shops selling electronics to furniture have started their Ramadan sales.

The security forces will similarly gear up to patrol streets to keep the crime rates low, especially the robberies, while people are engaged in worship and work.

Allowances mandated to be paid under the Employment Act for Ramadan, short working hours, and the special discounted packages offered by service providers are also reasons why many eagerly await this month.

Restaurants are also seen changing menus and preparing  the “breakfast buffet” adverts, as several families and friends gather in restaurants to break the fast outside homes. Those who stay at home, are likely to indulge in home-made buffet ranging from short eats to traditional curries and rice.

Meanwhile, Ramadan means good business for the market in capital Male’, selling locally produced furits and vegetables. Several people swarm around the area to buy fresh and colorful  papayas, bananas or – the Maldivian’s all-time favourite – watermelons, which are especially harvested on the islands for Ramadan.

Furthermore, an increase in evening sports events, and entertainment programs on TV channels are also elements families looks forward to during Ramadan – although some scholars have been critically outspoken about these “Non-Islamic” traditions.

After a month of fasting, the country will celebrate Eid ul-Fitr with millions of Muslim across the globe with prayers and festivities.

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Two MNDF officers accused of robbery return to work

Two Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers facing charges of robbing expatriates in uniform last year have returned to work following the conclusion of their investigation.

MNDF Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem told newspaper Haveeru that the officers had been assigned duty and that their investigation was concluded.

The cases have now been forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) to be tried at the Criminal Court. If either officer is found guilty, Raheem said the MNDF would take “strict action”.

On August 29 last year, police arrested the three MNDF officers accused of entering an expatriate residence in Male’ in army uniform and robbing the Bangladeshi workers with threats of violence.

The MNDF officers were identified as Lance Corporal Ali Ibrahim, 26, of Lhaviyani Hinnavaru Aaramuge, and Private Hussein Mahir, 23, of Laamu Mundhoo Finifenmaage. They were taken into custody with the stolen cash.

Following the arrests, the MNDF said it was “working with the police to take the harshest legal action possible” against the errant officers.

According to local media reports at the time, the three officers robbed expatriate workers living in Maafanu Pink Rose on Fareedhee Magu on a number of occasions during Ramadan last year.

Newspaper Haveeru reported that the uniformed officers entered the house on three consecutive nights and took Rf30,000 (US$1,945), Rf24,000 (US$1,556) and Rf12,000 (US$778) respectively.

The two officers were reportedly confronted by members of the public on the third night, who informed the police.

MNDF Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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