Year: 2010

Police conduct weapon searches after 17 year-old boy stabbed yesterday afternoon

A 17 year-old boy was  stabbed by a group of people near a garage in the Galolhu district of Male’ late yesterday afternoon, before sunset.

According to Police Sub-inspector Ahmed Shiyam  the boy was stabbed twice,  in the arm and shoulders, and was treated at Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

”Due to a rise in gang activity yesterday Maldives Police Services launched a special operation to check people and several areas,” Shiyam said. ”Police were seeking weapons and objects that could potentially be used as weapons.”

Recently another 17 year-old boy was stabbed to death by a group of men during an apparent gang fight.

The boy was stabbed in the leg as he was climbing onto a truck near the Social Centre in Maafannu, and bled to death despite undergoing transfusions at IGMH.

Police statistics for the first six days of Ramadan reveal that 225 criminal cases were recorded. There were 23 cases of assault, 61 cases of theft, three robberies, 22 drug-related cases, one sexual offence, 39 traffic-related cases, three cases of domestic violence, 21 cases of forgery, nine cases of vandalism, three cases of bounced cheques, four cases of embezzlement, 20 cases of lost items and 36 in the category ‘other’.

Comparative statistics between the number of crimes committed in the first three days of Ramadan this year and last year show that a decrease in crime rate in the first three days of Ramadan.

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Fiqh academy to reprint an amended version of Quran translation

State Islamic minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said the ministry’s Fiqh academy will reprint an amended version of the Dhivehi translation of the Holy Quran.

“We discovered there were 180 symbols missing in the current translation, and verses of some Surahs were disordered,” Sheikh Shaheem said.

“The current translation was a version made with the assistance of a scholar’s council appointed by the former government, therefore the Fiqh academy will not invalidate the current version, but will rather reprint an amended version,’’ said Sheikh Shaheem.

Shaheem said as Quran was holy it should be well protected.

“If the incorrect version is not amended it could potentially lead to confusion in the long run,’’ he suggested.

In June last year the ministry sent a letter to the president’s office requesting the copyright of the current translation, which is required in order to reprint the translation.

“But the president’s office replied that they could provide us the copyright – it’s funny though, because everything related to religion is supposed to be kept under the Islamic Ministry,’’ Shaheem said. “We do not know when we will be able to start the [reprinting], until we get the copyright.’’

Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair, was unavailable for comment at time of press.

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President appoints finance minister as acting tourism minister

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Finance Minister Ali Hashim as the acting tourism minister.

Former Tourism Minister Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad was appointed Attorney General when former Attorney General Husnu Suood resigned, claiming his job was untenable because of parliamentary obstruction. The appointment is awaiting approval of parliament.

President Nasheed has said he will appoint a new tourism minister shortly.

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Vice president expresses sympathy to Pakistan

Vice President of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Waheed has visited the Pakistan High Commission in the Maldives and expressed sympathy for the flood victims.

During his visit Dr Waheed appealed to all Maldivian citizens to support assistance to the victims of the flood.

”Millions of Pakistani Muslims were devastated and left without food and clean drinking water during this Ramadan,” said Dr Waheed. ”It is important for all Maldivians to show solidarity with the brotherly people of Pakistan and give whatever support they can to those affected.”

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Child’s body found in Baa Atoll

The body of a child was discovered in Kamadhoo of Baa Atoll, report the Maldives Police Service.

Police reported that the body was discovered in the sea by islanders and that the boy was dead when he was carried to hospital.

Police are now investigating the case.

Daily newspaper Haveeru reported that the boy was one year and six months old. The newspaper reported that the boy fell into the sea while he was playing near the island’s jetty.

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DQP MP lashes out at parliament’s “insincerity”

Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed has accused parliament of stacking the Supreme Court bench in favour of the two major parties, the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

Rasheed alleged that out of seven judges appointed for Supreme Court, four were appointed in favor of the DRP and People’s Alliance (PA) coalition, while the other three was appointed by the MDP.

‘’I have seen lately that the work of the parliament is divided by the interests of the two main political parties,’’ said Rasheed in yesterday’s parliament session.

Rasheed also complained that Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Shahid had failed to inform MPs that the issue of cabinet ministers’ reappointment was in committee. He cited article number 128 of the parliament’s law, which says that all committee work must be concluded within seven days time and MPs notified.

“My question is, are the cabinet ministers going to be divided like the Supreme Court judges?” Rasheed asked.

He claimed it was already “very difficult for me when I can’t summon ministers.’’

“Are the [reappointments] taking so long because the [cabinet ministers] are not yet divided equally among you?’’ he asked the chamber. ‘’We should be ashamed to criticise the president while our own actions are like this.’’

Rasheed decried the “lack of sincerity” in the parliament.

“During the appointment of the civil service commission members, there was a person who scored the marks, who was supposed to be listed as the third [appointment], but he was listed as the sixth. Where is the sincerity of the parliament?’’ he claimed. “Is it the president who is still wrong?’’

Rasheed added that his patience “has reached its end”, and that he could not wait “see the parliament swallowed by the two main political parties”.

In the silence following Rasheed’s outburst in the chamber, Rasheed said the MPs were silent “because they know I am speaking the truth about parliament.”

“The parliament’s work is unfair,’’ he added.

Shahid replied that he had informed the chair of the committee [examining the reappointment of cabinet ministers] of the committee’s obligation to disclose information, “and have sent a letter as a reminder.”

‘’I assure  all MPs that I would not commit any such act the honorable member has mentioned,” said Shahid.

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Legal confusion over local council elections

The government claims to be seeking legal advice concerning issues relating to the local council elections scheduled for October.

The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said there were contradictory definitions mentioned in the decentralisation and local council acts.

For instance, Hulhudhoo and Meedhu in Addu Atoll are considered two different islands and have their own island offices, but both are located on the same land mass.  Under the decentralisation act,  two islands on the same land or in the same lagoon would be considered one island, Zuhair explained.

“But in the local council elections act island offices are [allocated] for every island. As a result, it is now difficult to determine on which islands councils should be established,’’ he said.

Zuhair said the Elections Commission [EC] would try to hold elections on time, regardless to the issues raised.

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom said DRP has already presented a bill to the parliament to resolve the issue.

”We will amend the law to provide power to the citizens, and we might as well amend the constitution if necessary,” said Mausoom. ”In the bill it will determine how the local councils should be established in the controversial islands of Addu Atoll and Fuvamulah.”

In May, the parliament passed legislation on local council elections. The bill was initially passed in such a way that any person who lived out of their birthplace was required to travel to their home island.

Article 4 of the first legislation passed said voters would have to be present in their island of birth or registered constituency in order to cast their ballots.

President Mohamed Nasheed vetoed the bill, claiming a large number of people from the atolls living in Male’ or “40 per cent of the population”, would be deprived of the right to vote if he ratified the bill.

President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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HRCM lacks a religious scholar: Adhaalath party

The Adhaalath Party has called on parliament and President Mohamed Nasheed to include a religious scholar in the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives [HRCM], as stipulated in the constitution.

“HRCM is an institute established according to the constitution of the Maldives. The constitution very clearly states how to appoint members for the commission,’’ said a statement issued by the party. “According to the constitution, the Human Rights Commission should consist of people with different skills, [one of which] is that there should be a person educated in the field of Islam.”

The lack of such a person was a “constitutional absence”, the statement said. “Therefore, members are currently being appointed for the commission, we appeal to the president and parliament to focus attention on including persons from different areas in the commission.’’

The party also said it hoped parliament and president would endeavor to keep independent commissions, such as HRCM, free from people of partisan political background.

Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair, said that the president would give due consideration to the Adhaalath Party’s request.

”I think it is a requirement mentioned in the constitution,” said Zuhair, “and of course the president gives high priority to requirements mentioned in the constitution.”

The parliament last week appointed three members for the HRCM, out of eight names proposed by the president.

The three members appointed for HRCM were Maryam Azra Ahmed of Maafannu Hukuradhige, Jeehaan Mahmood of Dheyliyage in Hinnavaru of Lhaviyani Atoll and Ahmed Thalal of Henveiru Adduge. Former President of HRCM Ahmed Saleem was not approved by the parliament.

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PG files criminal charges against policeman for reckless driving

A policeman crashed who allegedly killed an elderly woman after crashing into her on his motorcycle will appear in court charged with recklessly driving an engine vehicle, according to a report in Haveeru.

52-year-old Shakeela and her grandson were allegedly hit and injured while crossing the road by Shimaz Ahmed of Guleynooranmaage on Villingilli in Gaaf Alif Atoll.

According to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Shakeela died of internal bleeding in the hospital two hours after the incident on March 2. Her grandson suffered head injuries but recovered.

In its report, Haveeru published a picture of Shimaz riding a motorcycle in September 2009 while appearing to talk on a mobile phone.

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