The Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS) has reportedly decided to place cellular jammers in all the country’s jails to prevent inmates from communicating with the outside using mobile phones.
The DPRS announced that it would be purchasing cellular jammers in the edition of the government gazette dated 18th April.
Minister for Home Affairs Mohamed Shihab said he did not want to give any information about the cellular jammers as it was “the concern of the DPRS.”
DPRS Director General Mohamed Rasheed said he also would not give any information on the cellular jammers.
”It’s not good for us to tell you how many guns and bullets the police have,” he said. ”You also should know it is not very good to [publish] all the information on the armed forces and their work.”
However, Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair confirmed that the government was trying to establish cellular jammer in all the jails.
Zuhair said that it would make the jail security level more advanced.
”Many times we have noticed inmates receiving assistance from people outside,” he said. ”They have connection with people outside.”
He said after the cellular jammer was installed a land line would provided for the inmates’ use, ”so they can reach their family and relatives in a regulated manner.”
He told Minivan News that several jail officers were being investigated on suspicion of helping inmates to bring mobile phones and drugs into cells in Male’ prison.
“Three inmates and several jail officers we suspect [to be involved] have been moved to Dhoonidhu [prison] for investigation,” he said.
Inmates in Male’ Prison last week damaged their cells after jail officers seized mobile phones and other contraband.
A resolution governing standards of conduct of MPs has been presented to the parliament by Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed.
MP Nasheed said the objective of the resolution was to establish a standard of conduct for all the MPs with their support, and to see if MPs could follow it.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) member ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik said that the problem in the parliament was not that there was no standard of conduct or law.
”It’s the pressure and anger that one has when they lose the luxury received during a certain administration,” he said. “The law will remain there, but there will still be no control over the parliament.”
He said that he did not support narrowing the rights of MPs as they had to fulfill their responsibilities.
Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed condemned the resolution and said he had lost one night’s sleep due to it.
”We have the right to claim whoever presented this bill on judgment day,” he said. ”This resolution takes away all our rights,”
Peoples Alliances MP Abdul Azeez Jamaal Abu Bakur said he believed he supported the purpose of the resolution, which was to form a standard of conduct.
”To make good use of our minds means maintaining our discipline,” he said, ”or else we are falling into the category of wild animals.”
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Mausoom said he was concerned about the resolution and said he had also lost sleep over it.
”I believe it’s important to pass this resolution,” he said, ”but with some amendments.”
MDP MP Alhan Fahmy said that the resolution should not be brought to the floor.
”It is not a must for us to do as the America’s specific house or how India’s specific place does,” he said. “The people have elected people who have reached the level of conduct they expect in the parliament.”
DRP MP and Vice President Ilham Ahmed said that it was necessary to form a standard of conduct.
”We have witnessed scenes when some people unplugged the microphones in committee room and broke the glass of the name notice board,” he said. ”And it’s embarrassing to say we have also witnessed a scene when an MP pull down his zip.”
He said that to avoid repeat performances, the standard of conduct was necessary.
President Mohamed Nasheed and First Lady Laila Ali departed for South Korea last night.
They will be participating in the Business for Environment Global Summit (B4E Summit) which will take place in Seoul from 21-23 April.
The summit allows for dialogue and business-driven action for the environment, with some of the topics on the agenda being resource efficiency, renewable energy and climate change policies and strategies.
During their visit, President Nasheed will also meet with the President of South Korea, Lee Myung-Bak, to discuss ways of strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed spoke yesterday at a meeting on human trafficking in the South Asia region, and called for an effort from law enforcement agencies, government authorities, civil society and international organisations to combat human trafficking in the region.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) produced a report on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking of Women and Children for Prostitution, where they said the Maldives is a country “where the primary form of trafficking is forced labour.”
Dr Waheed noted although the problem is global, Asia has the highest index of human trafficking.
The vice president said there was a concern that “human trafficking could become a growing problem in our country,” and noted the suggestions made by the ADB and IOM.
He said the government is working on combating the issue, and has mechanisms in place to repatriate victims who are brought to the Maldives.
He said there needed to be a more vigorous effort to form legislation and governmental machinery to combat trafficking.
President Mohamed Nasheed ratified the bill on presidential transition yesterday, which details the process of a presidential transition.
The Act states if the President-elect or Vice President-elect require expenses or services, the Director General of Transition should provide them. These services include office space with furniture and equipment, office supplies, staff salaries and a provision of technical experts and their salaries.
The Act also states no funds will be provided for services and facilities in connection with any obligations incurred by the President-elect or Vice President-elect, either before the day of the announcement of election results or after the inauguration.
The bill was originally passed by Parliament on 6 April 2010.
The Cabinet has decided on an administrative framework on land use, which was put in place yesterday.
The framework includes how the government can use and manage the country’s land, including sandbanks and lagoons.The Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment will keep a register of all the lands in Maldivian territory.
The framework stipulates that islands given for government ministries can be given to a third party only with the Cabinet’s approval.
The Cabinet also discussed their 2007 decision to build five airports in different islands, and decided to continue to construction of all five airports.
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Family members have claimed that inmates in Maafushi jail were badly beaten by jail officers in a prison riot on Sunday morning at around 12:15 am, after they were allegedly asked to go out to the prison yard and kneel on the ground.
A person familiar with the case told Minivan News that the riot was sparked when jail officers entered Unit 7 while everyone was sleeping.
”An Emergency Support Group (ESG) squad and the Maldives Police Service Serious and Organised Crime Unit, both in full riot kit, arrived in the middle of the night and demanded the inmates to go out to the yard and kneel down,” he said.
He said when the “barely awake” inmates refused to go outside ”they started confronting the inmates and beating them with their batons, and [the inmates] tried to defend themselves,” he said. ”It was shocking that they suddenly appeared like that in the middle of the night.”
He said claims by the Department of Penitentary and Rehabilitation Service (DPRS) that the inmates attempted to kidnap a jail officer were “all untrue.”
”It’s true that earlier three inmates in unit 8 jumped over the wall intending to jump into unit 7,” he said, ”but jail officers outside saw them and rang the loudest emergency siren.”
He said the three inmates ran back to their cell in fear.
”That was at the same time President Mohamed Nasheed had just left Maafushi after attending a ceremony held to open a water plant,” he said. ”If the jail officers came to take [the offenders] they could have just called their names and taken them, that’s how they always do it.”
He said that at least 15 of the inmates were badly injured in the riot, “but only three of them were taken to Male’,” he said. ”There are still six seriously injured inmates left in isolation cells in Unit 2, without medical treatment.”
He claimed that one of the inmates in Unit 2 had broken his arm, another had a swollen left eye and many others had bruises on them.
Injured inmate
”There is another man [in isolation] with internal bleeding – he was beaten up because he was the brother of another inmate who confronted jail officers,” the source alleged.
“He has first degree lung cancer and doctors have banned him from being imprisoned in any area where fresh air is not available. The Home Ministry would know about that.”
He claimed that jail officers “often complain that the current government does not provide them new shoes and uniforms like the former government.”
”They have a culture of torturing people,” he claimed. ”They want to have extreme power over inmates, so they pretend they do not have any control over the inmates, that’s what they want to show.”
Another person familiar with the case told Minivan News that the inmates in Unit 7 and Unit 8 were having an argument over a matter that started on Saturday afternoon and went on until that evening.
He confirmed that the three men in Unit 8 climbed over the wall intending to enter Unit 7.
“The jail officers on duty saw them and inmates returned back to Unit 8,” he said. ”But the officers rang the loudest siren, which can be heard throughout the whole island, to make it into a big issue.”
He said the jail officers entered Unit 9 that day around 6:30pm and left.
”Inmates in Unit 9 are very disciplined and well behaved,” he said. ”Jail officers went there and questioned them for about half an hour and left.”
He said that jail officers entered Unit 7 at midnight and demanded they go out to the yard and kneel down.
”It was alright to take those three,” he said, ”but they wanted all the inmates to kneel in the yard.”
The source said the riot last Saturday was a part of “a permanent war between inmates and the ESG.”
”The ESG force was established in 2007 and on their first day after training they beat up many inmates for no reason, shouting ‘We now have the power in Maafushi jail.”’
Head injury
He claimed that three inmates were brought to Male’ yesterday morning and admitted to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
“But there are still inmates injured who have not received any medical treatment,” he claimed.
”The inmates have wives and kids at home waiting for them; a few are moved to Male’ and put under house arrest for rehabilitation and medication, but they are not really ill inmates. Inmates who really need medication are still inside here in the cells.”
The source also claimed rehabilitation and house arrest were drawn randomly by the DPRS ”like a lucky draw.”
He said many of the jail officers complained the current government was not providing them any services, either.
”They used to provoke the depressed inmates to [do bad things], saying things like: ‘Don’t wait like that, do something.’ The should be called the DRP-S,” he said.
He further claimed that neither rehabilitation or advice were given to prisoners.
”They only know how to beat [the inmates] up. That’s the only service they get [in prison],” he said.
The mother of an inmate hospitalised in IGMH told Minivan News that she received the information about the case on Sunday.
”I went to the Human Right Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and told hem about the incident,” she said. “They called the DPRS who said my son was not injured.”
After contacting many government officials her son was brought to Male’ for treatment yesterday morning at 10:00 am.
”I was there when he arrived, his leg was damaged and he could not even walk,” she said. ”I called the DPRS and asked them to come and see for themselves whether if my son was injured.”
The mother of another inmate told Minivan News that her son’s arm was broken and he had been also was hit in the chest with a baton.
”Last night he had difficulties breathing, and still he has internal bleeding,” she said.
Miniavn News attended IGMH today to ascertain whether inmates had been injured and hospitalised as claimed, and confirmed the presence of three, in wards 7 and 10.
However the journalist was asked to leave by the police, despite DPRS staff outside previously agreeing that the inmates could be interviewed. ”It was is not visiting time and DPRS has requested you leave,” Minivan News was told. Minivan News observed that police and DRPS officers had removed their name tags.
Human Rights Commission of the Maldives yesterday released a press release after interviewing inmates and jail officers.
Inmate claims he was injured by a baton
HRCM’s report said that no one was seriously injured during the riot, and further claimed that the DPRS jail officers did not have control over the inmates.
”After the survey we conducted we noticed that DPRS officers had no control over the jail and the government had not provided the jail officers enough equipment,” HRCM said.
“The jail does not have any equipment to use in case of fire and there was no security equipment to control inmates out of control,” the statement said.
Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair and Director General of DPRS Mohamed Raheed did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
State Minister for Home Affairs Ahmed Adil said three inmates in Maafushi jail had tried to kidnap a jail officer who entered the cell to serve food to them.
Adil said that 15 jail officers were also injured during the riot.
”The DPRS did not enter the unit all of a sudden at midnight, ” he said. ”[Officers] tried to apprehend and isolate the inmates who tried to kidnap the jail officer.”
He said the inmates then confronted the jail officers.
”They threw stones at the jail officers,” he said, ”they threw anything their hands touched.”
Adil confirmed that six inmates were brought to Male’ for medical treatment.
”One of the inmates had a fracture in his arm and doctors said they needed to operate,” he said, ”but when doctors brought him inside the surgery room they noticed he was drunk and not in a good condition to be operated on, so he was sent away to be brought back later.”
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