Day: August 26, 2010

Merciel International signs US$180 million agreement to provide utilities to upper north province

The government-owned utilities firm Upper North Utilities Limited (UNUL) has signed an agreement with US firm Merciel International to provide utilities to all islands  in the country’s upper north province.

Merciel International CEO Bradley Smegal and UNUL Managing Director Abdulla Waheed signed the US$180 million agreement yesterday at a ceremony attended by President Mohamed Nasheed.

In an interview with newspaper Haveeru, Smegal said the company would have up to a 40 percent share in the joint venture.

“We have already got the funds in hand. It has been one and a half years since we started working on this project. We will be able to start the works in Uligamu within the next two weeks. Currently, we are also bottling water in one of the islands,” he told the newspaper.

Smegal the company would produce bio-fuel to power diesel generators and explore other environmental methods of power generation as well.

“More than half of the [three-atoll] province’s citizens will get cooking gas without any difficulty within 60 days of signing the agreement,” claimed General Manager of UNUL Ali Hashim.

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MJA condemns municipality head over scuffle with DhiTV cameraman

The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has demanded police investigate Head of Male’ Municipality Adam Manik “for attacking a DhiTV cameraman and snatching his camera while [the cameraman] was covering news outside Male’ Municipality.”

The MJA alleged that Manik attacked the cameraman, Hussain Najah, while he was filming a dispute between Manik and the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) on Wednesday.

The previous day municipality workers had removed banners put up by the IFM promoting a sermon by Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed, entitled ‘Entire Medina has dimmed’.

The MJA statement claims the organisation was informed by DhiTV that the journalist was “physically hurt” when attacked. The MJA called on police to investigate the case “and media to condemn the attack and protest against it.”

“The MJA believes Mr Manik has behaved in a very dirty manner, which we have seen from the politicians of primitive societies,” the MJA said.

Manik admitted confiscating the camera but denied attacking the cameraman.

“Cameramen are not allowed to film on government property without authorisation,” he said.

“The Islamic Foundation put banners on plants in Sultans Park. The garbage collectors have standing orders to clean up government property,” he explained.

“[The Islamic Foundation] didn’t come to complain – they came in a large gang. I was out at the time but when I came back I found them hassling staff and saw a DhiTV cameraman hiding under the stairs.”

Manik said he asked the cameraman to stop shooting and give up the camera, “which he did”, and then called police.

“They suggested I return the camera, but I asked them to be present when I returned it in case they tried to destroy it and [blame] me,” he said.

The MJA disputes that the cameraman was filming in an unauthorised area, “as he was filming outside the Municipality office, an area where filming is not forbidden.”

Manik observed that “the media is too occupied with making the news instead of reporting it’, and suggested that the truth would revealed when DhiTV ran the footage.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed police had attended the scene to observe the return of the camera to the cameraman.

“No one has reported that the camera man was injured and he has not made a complaint [himself],” Shiyam said. “So far no one has filed a case.”

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Criminal Court restricts movements of 19 staff arrested in Kurumba strike

The Criminal Court has ordered 19 staff at Kurumba Resort, who were arrested on charges of vandalism and intimidation during the recent strike, not to not to leave Male’.

The resort told Minivan News that senior management were intimidated by staff during the strike, and a door in a staff room was damaged.

During the strike the resort moved guests to other islands owned by the Universal group, while others chose to leave the country.

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Police negligence responsible for death in custody, says PIC

The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) have ruled that the Maldives Police Services was responsible for the death of Ibrahim Afzal, who self-immolated while in custody at Gahdhoo police station in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

Afzal died after pouring petrol over his body and lighting it, police claimed. The PIC said there was no evidence to suggest that police tortured him or set fire to him.

However, as Afzal died while in police custody, police were responsible for him the commission said, making the case one of negligence.

The commission also noted that there was no adequate place in Gahdhoo police station for holding suspects in custody.

The PIC has now sent the case to the Prosecutor General to determine whether a criminal case should be raised against concerned persons.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that police would accept the responsibilities expected of them.

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Yameen’s ‘protective custody’ was unconstitutional, rules Civil Court

The Civil Court of the Maldives has ruled that the government’s detention of Abdulla Yameen, People’s Alliance (PA) and half-brother of former President Gayoom, was unconstitutional.

The PA is a minor opposition party which in coalition with the major Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has a parliamentary majority. The government has accused Yameen of bribery and treason, however following his arrest in June the Supreme Court refused to extend the period of his detention.

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) held Yameen in isolation on the presidential retreat of ‘Aarah’ for nine days, releasing him on July 23. The government and the MNDF claimed Yameen’s detention was “for his own protection” after several groups of protesters clashed with police outside the MP’s house.

In July the MNDF took Yameen into protective custody after a group of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters gathered near his house and threw stones and water bottles.

MNDF claimed that Yameen was kept in isolation for his own safety and that he requested MNDF provide him security. However Yameen claimed he was taken by MNDF against his will.

In his verdict, Sameer noted that MNDF did not had the power to detain Yameen in Aarah for his protection under the MNDF law, article number 105 [b] and 243 of the constitution.

Chief Judge of the Civil Court Ali Sameer further ruled that the MNDF did not have the authority to restrict Yameen’s rights and freedoms, as guaranteed under the constitution.

Sameer declared that MNDF violated articles 41, 19, 21, 26, 30, 37, 45 and 46 of the constitution.

Any freedom and right guaranteed by the constitution could only be restricted according to a law enacted under article 16 of the constitution, or following the declaration of a state of emergency, Sameer said.

He added that it was a responsibility of all state institutions to uphold freedoms and rights mentioned in the constitution.

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Fugitive surrenders himself to police

A man wanted by police regarding an undisclosed investigation has surrendered himself to authorities, the Maldives Police Services has said.

Police Sub-inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that Ibrahim Shahum was a fugitive “sought for an investigation” but declined to disclose on what charges he was sought for.

“We haven’t shared that information because we do not know what will happen at court, and if the court acquits him after we told the press what he was charged for, it wouldn’t be fair,’’ said Shiyam. “He came to police last Monday of his own free will.’’

He said Shahum was now in police custody.

Daily newspaper Haveeru reported that Shahum was being investigated in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17 year-old in late July.

The 17 year old was stabbed in the leg near the Social Centre in Maafannu, Male’. He was admitted to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and treated for more than eight hours in the Intensive Care Unit, but the knife severed a major artery and despite an emergency blood transfusion he died the following morning at 6:15am.

A person familiar with the case told Minivan News that police had searched for Shahum “based on statements given to police by [gang] opponents regarding the recent stabbing cases. Those cases include the death of the 17 year-old boy as well.’’

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