Day: February 8, 2010

Maldivian detainees repatriated from Pakistan

Four Maldivian nationals imprisoned by the Pakistani government for alleged militant activities have been repatriated to the Maldives and released to their families.

They join another five who were returned to the Maldives last week and also released. The government confirmed that one of the men had stood trial in the Maldives after being accused of involvement in the Sultan Park bombing, but noted that the case had been dropped.

The president’s press secretary Mohamed Zuhair said the Pakistani government had returned the men, who were picked up during a military raid on several armed groups, with no information on charges against them or conditions on their imprisonment, making them innocent under Maldivian law.

“Our information suggests there were originally 12 [Maldivians] but three died while they were being transported between facilities,” Zuhair said, adding that reports the men had been carrying firearms at the time of their arrest were conflicting.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Shaheed said the nine men had not been formally charged, and stressed that “the types of activities they are alleged to have been involved in, while illegal, do not necessarily fall under terrorism.”

Shaheed said the Maldives Police Service had determined that “the best thing to do was to release them to their families and put them under surveillance”, while their activities abroad were investigated. “There are a lot of stories about the nature of what they were doing. If we release anybody, it is because our laws require them to be released,” he said.

The home minister had travelled to Pakistan to investigate the matter, he said, emphasising that the role of foreign ministry was to “repatriate Maldivians when it is in the national interest to do so” and not “to mix that up with judgements of character”.

Shaheed noted that the Maldives does have an arrangement with Pakistan regarding prisoner exchange, particularly regarding the repatriation of Pakistani nationals currently serving time in the Maldives, but stressed that this arrangement “is unrelated to this case [of the nine Maldivians].”

He took exception to stories published today that the government was “releasing jihadists”, acknowledging that such allegations “will hurt the national brand upon which our economy depends.”

“People should not use the term jiahdist lightly,” he said. “To some it means people who mean harm, to others it means someone pious on the path to Heaven. People need to be careful what they are saying.”

Shaheed also expressed concern that the Maldives was last week described as a “safe haven” by Taliban-linked resistance fighters, who recently visited the Maldives to meet with members of the Afghan government.

“We are a soverign country and if we hear of a government [coming to the Maldives] to be involved in talks we expect them to tell us,” he said, suggesting that the country’s safety and reputation could be undermined by such “political gaming.”

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Indian MP Rahul Gandhi arrives in Malé today

Indian MP Rahul Gandhi arrived in Malé International Airport this afternoon. He was met by President Nasheed, Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed and other members of government.

After his arrival, the President received him in his office were they discussed the developmental cooperation between the two countries, and what areas of trade and cooperation could be improved. Rahul assured India’s investment in the Maldives will continue.

Both President Nasheed and MP Rahul agreed that continued cooperation and friendship between the countries was essential to both nations. The President also mentioned that Rahul’s visit to the Maldives would boost relations between the neighbouring countries.

Rahul’s visit follows the recent agreement between the Maldives and India to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding counter-terrorism. The MoU is to be signed in April 2010.

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Fire in Vilu Reef Resort’s diving school

A fire was reported at Vilu Reef Resort yesterday at 3:00pm.

The fire started in the resort’s diving school and spread to the restaurant, damaging both areas.

A fire-fighting team from the nearby Angsana Velavaru resort assisted in controlling the fire.

Police added that no one was injured in the incident.

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New ambassador of Myanmar meets with President Nasheed

The new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Union of Myanmar to the Maldives, U Ohn Thwin, met with President Nasheed yesterday.

Thwin, former ambassador to Sri Lanka, was appointed to the Republic of the Maldives in late 2009.

President Nasheed and Ambassador Thwin discussed strengthening trade, as well as other areas of cooperation, between the two countries.

President Nasheed also mentioned his hope that Aung San Suu Kyi—a Burmese political activist who has been imprisoned for over a decade for her attempts to bring down the military regime in her country—would be released soon.

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Businessman robbed of Rf435,000 in gang attack

A businessman has been attacked and robbed of Rf435,000 (US$33850) and US$7100 in the latest of a series of gang attacks in Male’.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the incident occurred last night around 12:00am on Janavary Magu near Sonee Hardware.

Shiyam said the man was carrying money belonging to a company when the gang approached and stabbed him.

The man is currently being treated at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) “and his condition is not very serious,” according to Shiyam.

An eye witness told Minivan News that the 41 year old victim was stabbed in the back and robbed of Rf435,000 and US$7100 during the incident. He said the man was taken to ADK Hospital around 12:30am.

Police did not know whether this case was related to other recent similar cases, Shiyam said, in which business owners carrying large amounts of money after closing their stores are attacked by gangs.

Last year on 28 December prominent businessman Ahmed Ibrahim Didi, known as ‘Campus’ Didi, was stabbed and robbed of almost US$300,000 in cash by unknown assailants. He was badly injured during the incident and was flown to India for emergency treatment.

Two days later, the manager of the Sunfront store, Mohamed Rashaad Adam, and an employee of the shop were attacked by a gang when they were on their way back to home with the day’s takings in cash with them in a small bag. The employee was badly injured but no money was stolen during the attack.

Vice President of the Maldives National Chamber of Commerce Institution (MNCCI) Ismail Asif said the organisation had held a meeting with police to make businessmen aware about these sort of incidents.

”We are trying to make Male’ a peaceful place for the businessman,” Asif said.

He said it was bad for businesses to face these kind of challenges “especially during a time of economic crisis like this.”

He such crimes could be prevented if people became more aware of the dangers of carrying large amounts of money.

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Journalist fined for defaming Ghassan

The former editor of weekly magazine Sandhaanu has been ordered to pay Rf5000 (US$389)for defaming Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, the former president’s son.

Ghassan took Abdulla ‘Fahala’ Saeed to the civil court seeking Rf3.375 million (US$262,600) over an article Fahala had written in the 118th edition of Sandhaanu magazine.

Ghassan claimed he lost support in the parliamentary election because of rumours about him published in an article written by Fahala.

Fahala claimed that the Rf5000 fine was “an injustice” and announced he intended to take the case to high court.

”The judge did not even look at the article I wrote, I was sentenced based on what Ghassan had said,” Fahala claimed.

He insisted that he did not defame Ghassan “but ‘wrote it as it was a rumor spreading.”

”In that article I mentioned that it was a rumour. People were speaking about it everywhere in the Maldives,” he said.

Ghassan is currently in India and did not respond to Minivan News’ request for comment.

However spokesman for the former president, Mohamed Hussain ‘Mundhu’ Shareef, said the judgement was fair and Fahala was free to take the case to the high court.

“[The court] has proved the rumors people spread about former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and his family were lies,” Mundhu said.

People who committed “ugly crimes” while working for the government should be “kicked out”, Mundhu said, “if the government does not want to lose respect in front of the people.”

President of the Maldives Journalism Association (MJA) Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir said the case would not affect journalism in the Maldives.

”Fining for defamation is a punishment practiced everywhere in the world. Journalists should be careful about it,” Hiriga said.

Journalists had a responsibility “to write true information about people”, he said.

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Winning the lottery, Maldives style

It was a hot afternoon and Ibrahim Riyaz was standing on the beach of his island Kudarikikilu in Baa Atoll, trying to get some cooling breeze, when he noticed something white floating in the sea.

Curious as to what it was, he nevertheless turned his attention on his son who was on talking on the phone with his aunt. When his son left, he decided to go a bit closer to the sea, and noticed the object was now floating less than six foot from him.

“At first I thought it was a puffer fish,” says Riyaz.

When he realized it was floating further away instead of coming towards him, he decided to wade in. “At the back of my mind, I did think it might be an ambergris.”

The object was white and weighed around 2.5 kilograms, with a strong, earthy smell. He placed it near a palm tree, and went home for a shower. On his return he took the ambergris and went to a relative’s house nearby.

“Having never seen ambergris I wasn’t sure what it was,” he says. When the old relative he showed to said it was ambergris, “my joy knew no bounds.”

Riyaz dropped his son at school and came back, and saw the old man had broken a little bit off and was burning it on the fire: “It smelled like perfume, like good aftershave.”

His father returned from fishing, also burned a piece and said it was ambergris. This was confirmed by the islands old medicine man the next day.

Guarding an ambergris

Now the substance had been identified as ambergris, the issue of security cropped up. Ambergris is used to make perfumes, in medicine, and is also known as an aphrodisiac, consequentially it enjoys a high value on the international market.

Kudarikilu, a small island of around 540 inhabitants, had been the location an ambergris find thirty years ago also.

“Alas the story didn’t end well for that person,” says Riyaz, explaining that a fisherman by the name of Mohamedbe had been out fishing near an uninhabited island when an object floated near the boat, bobbing up and down.

Not sure what it was, he nevertheless picked it up and kept it in the dhoni.

Upon arrival, the first person Mohamedbe met was Riyaz’s grandfather. He called his crewmates to bring the object, showed it to the grandfather who identified it as ambergris.

Ecstatic, Mohamedbe got ready to leave to Male the next night to sell it. Come the time for departure, Mohamedbe finds the batheli (small boat) had been robbed of its rudder.

“Even then Mohamedbe didn’t realize something was wrong,” says Riyaz.

Next day Mohamedbe gets a new rudder, and prepares to leave the following day. “

“That night itself someone broke into his home and stole the ambergris.”

Distraught, Mohamedbe sought the help of the island office, who said a search could be undertaken but not of any homes.

“The talk was that the island office people were in on the stealing, because what was the point if the homes can’t be searched?”

The rudder was returned the following day.

The affair remained a mystery until a couple of months later, when a couple divorced and the ex-wife, in a fit of anger, yelled at her former husband and called him an “ambergris thief.”

According to the story, the ambergris was hidden on a fish net hung in a room in the couple’s home. Mohamedbe took the matter to court; the man in question was apprehended and confessed.

“However on the day he appeared in court, he retracted saying he was scared that’s why he lied,” Riyaz says.

Islanders concluded his co-conspirators had threatened him to shutting up.

The case was closed, with the man banished to another island for lying, and the islanders concluded that ambergris would never again found around the island of Kudarikilu.

Riyaz was determined the story would not repeat itself. In the eight days since he found it, thieves have broken into his house twice, he says. “One night I woke up to a sound and found a man dashing out.”

Island councilor Hassan Siraj said the island office would provide security, if requested: “Right now they are trying to market it abroad. Thirty years before ambergris was stolen [on the island], so we will help in any way if Riyaz requests.”

Riyaz says his find is well hidden.

“Siraj did offer to bring police help, but I will only ask for that if it takes long time to sell,” he says.

Asked if he is always anxious about it being stolen, he says “of course that fear is there, but it’s safe for the time being.”

He had an offer to sell the chunk to a local businessmen for four lacks (US$40,000). However a fellow islander, who works in Male, has been entrusted the task of finding buyers for it from abroad.

“Friends say I can sell it for a very good price as this is white ambergris and it’s more expensive.”

The first thing he will do with the money he receives will be to “send my parents to hajj”, Riyaz explains.

He plans to continue fishing as it’s his passion. “I might also start a small business with the nearby resorts.”

Riyaz plans to continue living on his small island, albeit richer than before.

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