CEO of the Bank of Maldives (BML), Ganesan Subramanyam, left the country on Sunday amidst an internal investigation by the Board of Directors concerning sexual assault.
A source familiar with the matter said the Indian national left as soon as the investigation started.
“He didn’t resign, didn’t tell anyone,” said the source.
“We knew someone complained that he was doing this,” he said, adding that this was the second complaint made by a female BML employee.
“The first girl complained to the assistant manager shortly after Subramanyam began working at the bank,” he said, but added “the story just vanished” shortly after the complaint. The employee is still working at the bank.
Subramanyam “took everything from his office, all his personal effects,” according to the source, and no one has heard from him since.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed today neither case has been sent to the police.
BML said a staff member had “reported to the Board alleging improper conduct on the part of the MD and CEO, Mr Ganesan Subramanyam, and the matter is engaging the priority attention of the Board.”
They added “the MD is outside the country” and “a decision about his employment status will be taken after completion of investigations.”
Chief Credit Officer, Ramesh Krishnan, has taken over Subramanyam’s post for the time being, and “normal business is being conducted.”
The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) has warned the government that its plans to resettle Guantánamo Bay prisoners in the Maldives, and the recent Afghan peace talks that took place in the country, could “tarnish the prestigious name” Maldives has made for itself as a tourism destination.
“The association notes that the international media has been writing on the matter of bringing in the prisoners, who have been allegedly linked to severe inhumane crimes,” the association noted, adding that the BBC had described the government’s plan as “transforming a tourists’ paradise to a paradise for terrorists.”
Their concern was that tourist arrivals would decline due to the international perception of the country, creating a devastating domino effect in the country’s tourism industry.
Furthermore, they said “bringing Guantánamo Bay prisoners will badly affect the tourism industry and so this association calls on the government not to do anything that would pave the way for such a thing.”
MATATO board members have been planning a meeting on the issue this week, but it has been postponed twice due to several members being out of the country.
Secretary General of MATATO, Mohamed Maleeh Jamal, said they did not have quorum to hold the meeting yesterday, but are trying to gather enough members to hold it as soon as possible.
He told Minivan News yesterday “we are meeting regarding the Afghan talks, which is quite a sensitive issue.”
Board and council member of MATATO, Sharif Ibrahim, said whether or not the recent events will have a negative impact on the tourism industry in Maldives “is all about how you see things.”
Referring to the Afghan peace talks, he said the international community “might see us as a loving, peaceful country. Somebody had to step in and help. Some people will see this as a good thing.”
As to the resettlement of Guantánamo Bay prisoners, he said “it may have a negative effect,” but added everyone must keep a “broad mind” before jumping to conclusions.
“I haven’t seen any bad reactions yet,” he said, “I don’t think it will have a bad impact. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Although MATATO have voiced their concern, other associations are not so worried about the Maldives’ reputation, or its effect on the tourism industry.
In the article, they repeatedly argued that MATATO’s concerns of the resettlement of Guantánamo Bay detainees and the recent Afghan peace talks are exaggerated views, and are sure that neither issue will have a negative effect on the industry.
They gave several reasons back up their argument, saying that resorts in the Maldives are usually visited by “high spenders” who “generally have their heads with them. So they could not possibly be unaware of world politics or ramifications of it.”
They also argue that Guantánamo Bay detainee centre is “not a terrorist camp or training ground for terrorists,” and they support US President Obama’s bid to close it down. They also added that, “this time, the president [Mohamed Nasheed] is correct. Absolutely correct to ZERO decimals without error.”
The article further reads the opposition parties in the country are “taking advantage of the ignorance of the masses to gather support,” and they have applauded President Nasheed for refusing to answer journalists’ questions at a press conference last week.
“In this case,” it continued, “the opposition is using media to the hilt to discredit a rather commendable move by the president.”
They add that MATATO members are “just individuals who make a life selling package holidays to unwary tourists” and they are “the most worker unfriendly people who works [sic] in the tourism industry.”
The Maldives Association for Tourism Industry (MATI) did not wish to comment on the issue, because “we don’t want to lend anything to either side of the argument.”
The government has sustained any prisoners resettled in the Maldives would be first cleared of any criminal charges, and have repeatedly assured “they are not terrorists” and the transfer is “purely humanitarian.”
Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ali Sawad, did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
Islanders of Thaa Atoll Buruny have been protesting since last Thursday demanding the government build a new mosque on the island.
Moosa Abdul Gadir, councilor of Buruny, told Minivan News that the protest began when the Islamic Ministry decided to upgrade an old mosque on the island instead “of building a new one with the Rf4.6 million that the government of Brunei gave the Islamic Ministry.”
”Our people are disheartened because the Islamic Ministry told us last year in October that they would build a new mosque for us with the money from the Brunei government, which would be large enough for 700 people. But later they said would upgrade the existing old mosque,” said Moosa.
Moosa said that 90 percent of the island’s population took part in the protests outside the gate of the island office, wearing white bandanna’s on their head to represent that they were peaceful protesters.
Moosa said that the protest was peaceful, and was proceeding according to the law, but warned that ”humans can only be patient for a certain amount of time.”
He said the Islamic Ministry had not discussed the change in its decision with either the islanders or the island office.
”When the protesters gathered on Thursday they gave a signal that they would build a new mosque,” Moosa said, ”but again now they have disagreed on building it.”
Moosa said there five mosques on the island: one of them which he claimed was large enough for only 10 people and was built near the graveyard, the second was 100 years old, the third “was built for Villifushi people who migrated after the tsunami incident” and the remaining two mosques were “woman mosques”.
”I think the Islamic Ministry is trying to make people hate the government,” he said. ”Why else they would do something like this?”
State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed meanwhile guaranteed that the Islamic Ministry would not make a decision that would make the islanders unhappy.
”They were having a dispute among themselves over whether to build a new mosque or upgrade the old mosque,” Shaheem said. ”That’s why the Ministry was confused. We will do it according to how the people wish.”
The Adhaalath Party has attacked daily newspaper Haveeru for publishing an apparent advertisement for alcohol in its May 19 edition, calling on “concerned authorities” to investigate the matter.
The party claimed this act of Haveeru news violated article 27 of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of expression “subject to the tenets of Islam.”
” The ad consists of a label of a certain brand of whiskey and had no name or contact number associated with it,” the Adhaalath Party said on its English-language website.
The party claimed it was “surprised and shocked” that as the Maldives is a 100 percent Muslim nation, such an act should not happen “since all the ads published in the local newspapers are screened for conformity with the laws and regulations of the country.”
The party said the issue was “very serious” and warned it could “disrupt the peace and harmony of the country.”
Editor of Haveeru Moosa Latheef said the newspaper did not advertise alcohol.
”It was a notice sent to us by a whiskey-producing company,” Latheef said. ”The notice was to inform people that the usage of their brand name fraudulent and unauthorised.”
Latheef said that the newspaper had mistakenly failed to include the written notice and published only the whiskey picture.
”Yesterday we wrote that we missed the notice and it was a mistake,” Latheef said. ”We will not promote alcohol in the country.”
A 40 year-old man suspected of sexually abusing his 16 year old daughter in North Ari Atoll has been arrested, confirmed Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam.
Shiyam said the case was ongoing and declined to provide further information.
However, a woman familiar with the matter claimed that the man has been abusing his daughter since she was nine years old.
”She was told by her dad that it was something daughters should do with Dads and she should not tell anybody,” the woman claimed. ”Nobody was aware that this was happening,”
The man had denied the claims, the woman noted.
”When his wife [suspected the abuse] and asked him if it was happening, the man shouted at her rudely,” the woman said. ”But now he has admitted to police that he has been doing it for a long time.”
She said the abuse was reported to the police by the girl’s boyfriend, after she received a call from her father and put it on conference mode.
”Her boyfriend was listening to the call when her Dad asked his daughter whether she finished menstruating and to come to him when she was done,” she said. ”Her boyfriend then informed the police.”
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has announced it will continue its ‘red notice’ protests, despite welcoming changes the government’s new subsidies for electricity charges.
National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) today said that it changed the per unit rate for subsidies for electricity charges, a move intended to people who cannot afford the electricity bill.
According to the changes, charges for 0-100 meter units would be Rf1.50, 101-200 meter units Rf1.70, 201-300 meter units Rf2.15 and 301-400 units Rf2.50, for people receiving subsidies.
Charges for those not identified as eligible for a subsidy will remain at Rf2.25 for 0-100 units, Rf2.50 for 101-300 units, Rf 2.95 for 301-500 units, Rf3.55 for 501-600 units and Rf3.85 above 601.
NSPA Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed said that the subsidied charges were cheaper than 2008 prices.
”No changes were brought to the [normal] charges, but the subsidised rates have changed,” he said.
No changes were made to unsubsidised electricity charges because the government wished to run the State Electric Company (STELCO) without a loss, he said.
He said that the changes in the subsidised rates had no connection with the DRP-led protests.
DRP MP Ahmed Mahloof meanwhile said the protest would begin tonight at 8:45pm, and would start near the tsunami monument.
”Maldivian Democratic Party MDP’s protest outside the Vice President’s house has proved us that climbing gates was not prohibited,” Mahloof said. ”We will climb the gates of Muleeage [the President’s official residence] tonight.”
Mahloof said he had information that the police has planned to use rubber bullets to disperse tonight’s gathering.
DRP MP Ahmed Nihan said that DRP welcomed the changes brought to the electricity charges, but ”will continue the protest as we have planned.”
Nihan said that 80 percent of the people ought to receive subsidies for electricity charges.
”The procedure NSPA follows is not very comprehensive,” he said, ”but we welcome the changes they brought.”
Products imported to Maldives from Thailand were delayed due to political unrest in Bangkok last week, but Chairman of the State Trading Organisation (STO), Faruq Umar, said there “was a short delay, but no major disruptions” in imports.
He said the Maldives depends mostly on Thailand for foodstuffs, construction materials such as PVC pipes, and other hardware materials.
“It has been solved and will resume soon,” Faruq said, adding “there has been no shortage as such” of any indispensable goods.
He added Maldives is also importing many products from China, India and Brazil.
Minister for Economic Development, Mahmud Razee, said “at this moment, [a delay] hasn’t kicked in yet.”
He said there could be a possible delay soon, but “now the issue has been resolved,” and he does not expect the delay to be major.
“We rely on Thailand primarily for garments,” he said, adding that many people “go there, buy them and air-freight them back. It’s only in the last couple of weeks they have not been able to do that.”
He said despite the political unrest in Thailand, “impact has not been that significant” in the Maldives.
Press Secretary for the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuhair, said most “textiles, clothes, ladies’ fashion and children’s toys” in the Maldives come from Thailand, and many shipments have been delayed due to the political unrest in the country.
He added there has been an “unforeseen decline” for import businesses in Maldives that depend on Thai products.
According to the World Bank, Thailand is one of the top-five import (and export) partners of Maldives. According to Maldives Customs, imports from Thailand in 2008 amounted to 4.3 percent of all imports to the country.
Riots
After the 2006 military coup to oust then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a group known as the ‘Red Shirts’ has called on new PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva, to dissolve parliament and hold new elections.
The Red Shirts had been protesting for weeks, and massive protest was organised in Lumpini Park last Wednesday. Military forces entered the park and dispersed protesters, but several smaller riots broke out across the city throughout the day.
A bank, police station, local TV station and the country’s biggest mall were all set on fire, leading to a curfew that was meant to last until today. Prime Minister Vejjajiva has now extended the curfew, but said government agencies and schools will reopen on Monday.
The curfew has been extended until 24 May, and forbids people to leave their homes between 11 pm and 4 am. The curfew has meant many businesses, and even airlines, have been operating only a few hours a day.
Prime Minister Vejjajiva said on Saturday: “We have restored order in the capital of Bangkok and the provinces of Thailand. We will continue to move swiftly to restore normalcy and we recognise that as we move ahead, there are huge challenges ahead of us, particularly the challenge of overcoming the divisions that have occurred in this country.”
According to Thai government reports, there have been at least 50 deaths and over 400 people injured in the last few weeks due to violent clashes.
President Mohamed Nasheed has announced the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit will be held next year in the South Province.
During his weekly radio address last Friday on the Voice of Maldives, the president said the summit could take place in both Addu and Fuahmulah Atolls.
President Nasheed acknowledged it would take a lot of work and preparation to hold the summit in Maldives, but said he was “confident a successful summit could be held in the South Province.”
Press Secretary for the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuahir, confirmed the summit will be held in the Maldives next year, but said a final date has not been set yet. “We are looking at April 2011.”
He said there would be “huge development” in the Southern Province, noting there was already “road building projects” underway in the islands. He said a new conference centre would be built for the summit, as well as other facilities such as indoor halls.
Zuhair added the development projects for the summit will cost “upward of US$10 million.” He said the money will be partly donated by other SAARC countries and partly sponsored by the Maldivian government.
“It’s the first time a SAARC summit is being held south of the Equator,” Zuhair said, “and it will highlight the Southern Province and give us a very good name.”
Maldives was meant to hold this year’s summit, “but due to economic recession” among other things, it was cancelled and held in Thimphu, Bhutan.
“As a member country, it is also our responsibility [to hold the summit],” he said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Naseem, said holding the summit in the Southern Province “symbolises unity in the country.”
He said “there are quite a lot of people living in the Southern Province and not everything has to be held in Malé.”
He added there is already a lot of infrastructure in the province, so the cost will be feasible for the government.
Maldives was meant to hold this year’s summit, he noted, but it was cancelled due to “some difficulties.”
“It’s a regional thing,” he said, “every [SAARC] country holds the summit.”
MP for Fares-Maathodaa Ibrahim Muttalib has announced that he will file a no-confidence motion against Education Minister Dr Musthafa Luthfy over the ministry’s steering committee’s recommendation to make Islam and Dhivehi optional subjects for grades 11 and 12.
Appearing on Television Maldives’ ‘Q&A with Miqdad’ programme last night, the independent MP argued that the decision would undermine respect for religion and language among youth.
Muttalib claimed that Luthfy told him that students of Arabbiya School, which was shut down after a wall collapsed, would be transferred to other schools.
“We now believe that national education matters will not go well because of the attitude and thinking of the Education Ministry, especially Mustafa Luthfy,” he said. “So [Luthfy] should either make amends or resign.”
Muttalib, former treasurer of the religious conservative Adhaalath party, said he had drafted the motion and hoped to secure 10 signatures from MPs needed to submit a motion of no-confidence.
The decision
“Now the education minister is saying it was not his decision to change the two subjects to optional,” Muthalib said today. ”I want the minister to tell us whose idea was it then.”
Muthalib claimed that Luthfy told him last week that there was “no way” the decision could be reversed.
”If the education system implements a curriculum like this, students would be moved away from religion and mother tongue,” he said. ”I would not support such a curriculum that discourages the use of our own culture and language.”
While he could not predict how MPs would vote on the motion, Muttalib said “there are many MPs who respect religion.”
Curriculum
Education Ministry team
Luthfy told Minivan News today that while he had watched the TVM programme, he did not think Muttalib “was serious.”
He added that he did not want to comment on the no-confidence motion.
“It’s not true that I said in a meeting last week that there was no way the decision could be changed,” he said.”It’s not my decision. It’s only a suggestion by the ministry’s steering committee.”
Luthfy has stressed that the decision of making Dhivehi and Islam subjects elective has not been finalised.
An angry crowd protested outside the minister’s house on Tuesday night following the Adhaalath press release.
Sheikh Hussein Rasheed Ahmed, president of Adhaalath party, said today that did not wish to comment on the no-confidence motion.
”It is not our concern,” he said. “Our problem is that Education Minister is misbehaving.”
The State Minister for Home Affairs said the party had discussed the issue with Luthfy on several occasions.
“This is a national issue.” he said. “He cannot solve a national issue on his own. He has to discuss with the cabinet, parliamentarians and senior government officials.”
Senior officials at the Education Ministry has stressed that the steering committee’s recommendation would only be implemented following cabinet deliberations.
Main parties
Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Mausoom told Minivan News today that it was imperative that Maldivians “try to save their identity.”
“The school curriculum should also be designed in a way that would help save the country’s identity, which is religion and language,” Mausoom said. ”Dhivehi and Islam are both very important subjects.”
He added that the state had a responsibility to preserve and protect national identity and culture.
“The main reason why I do not like this government is that they never prefer to discuss any issue -and even if they did [want to] they rarely they do it- but they never would accept the recommendations and suggestions,” he said.
The MP for Kelaa said that the DRP parliamentary group will discuss the issue and decide its stance.
Meanwhile, ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Alhan Fahmy said the time had not yet come to take up the issue at parliament.
”It would be a very big issue if they were removing the two subjects from the school curriculum,” Alhan said. “But if it is optional that means any student who wishes to study it can study it. Students have the opportunity. I don’t see what all the fuss is about.”
Alhan said the issue was being blown out of proportion to serve political purposes, adding that the MDP parliamentary group had not officially discussed the matter yet.
Statistics of the Education Ministry show that of the 7,137 students who sat for the GCE O’Level examinations last year, only 32 per cent passed in five subjects, while 2,284 students qualified for higher secondary education.
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