Day: February 14, 2011

Allegations of STO’s blackmarket oil deals with Burma “politically motivated”: Gayoom

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has lashed out at comments made by the Presidential Commission yesterday that top-level officials from the former administration were involved in blackmarket oil deals with the Burmese military junta.

The allegations were first published in India’s The Week magazine on Friday. In the article, CNN-IBN Chief National Correspondent Sumon K Chakrabarti described Gayoom’s half brother and former STO Chairman Abdulla Yameen as “the kingpin” of a scheme to buy subsidised oil through the State Trading Organisation’s branch in Singapore and sell it on through an entity called ‘Mocom Trading’ to the Burmese military junta, at a black market premium.

The article, which has since been published on the magazine’s website, also claimed that Singaporean police were investigating the incidence of shipping fraud linked to STO Singapore. It drew heavily from a draft report from forensic accountancy firm Grant Thorton, commissioned by the Maldives government to investigate financial records on three hard drives pertaining to STO Singapore’s operations.

Gayoom has claimed that the allegations by the Presidential Commission were politically motivated. Newspaper Haveeru reported Gayoom as distancing himself from the STO, quoting the former President as saying that “I [had] no connections with the STO when I was the president and after that.

“STO has a board and a Chairman that oversee all the operations of the company. I never [got] involved in the matters of STO. The company will reveal its annual financial report at its General Meeting every year and discuss on the matters [raised in the report],” Haveeru reported Gayoom as saying.

“The commission is trying to tarnish my reputation because of the support given to me by the residents of the islands and the success DRP achieved in the local council election,” he reportedly added.

Yameen dismissed the allegations as “absolute rubbish” following the publication of Chakrabarti’s original story in The Week.

He acknowledged using the STO to send funds to his children in Singapore during his time as chairman, but denied doing so money following his departure from the organisation.

“After I left, I did not do it. In fact I did not do it 3 to4 years before leaving the STO. I used telegraphic transfer,” he told Minivan News.

Yameen also denied being under investigation by the Singaporean police.

Asked to confirm whether the STO Singapore had been supplying fuel to Myanmar during his time as chair of the board, “it could have been – Myanmar, Vietnam, the STO is an entrepreneurial trade organisation. It trades [commodities like] oil, cement, sugar, rice to places in need. It’s perfectly legitimate. “

In a subsequent interview with VTV’s ‘Fas Manzaru’ program, Yameen acknowledged flying to Burma during a period when the STO faced a rice shortage, “a very long time ago.” He had not visited in the past 16 years, he said.

“Perhaps this government is afraid that with my supposed Myanmar military links, I might bring over weapons from that country and overthrow this [Maldivian] government. But I have to say that those military officials in the Burmese government are ones I have never met. I don’t even know them,” Yameen told VTV.

He also announced that he was “ready to offer anyone 90 percent” of the alleged US$800 million in laundered money cited by The Week article, “if they locate it for me.”

“I only want 10 percent. If I get US$800 million now, 10 percent of that will suffice for me. Even if I get around US$80 million dollars, it will be enough for me,” Yameen said.

“Therefore this time for anyone who helps locate this [money], I am ready to hand over 90 percent of all that into the finder’s name.”

Yameen called on police to investigate the matter alongside previous allegations in the Indian press that President Nasheed had consumed alcohol.

“I welcome investigation. But if investigations are being done, then it should also be investigated when an Indian newspaper publishes such defamatory material against the President,” Yameen said.

The Presidential Commission has meanwhile stated that details of the alleged racketeering would be disclosed on conclusion of the investigation, in collaboration “with international parties”.

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Police questioning UK man after bomb threat false alarm

Police are questioning a 60 year-old UK man after a bomb threat was made on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight this afternoon.

Passengers were evacuated from the aircraft and the plane stood on the tarmac while the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) searched passengers’ baggage.

The MNDF eventually gave the all clear and the plane commenced its flight to London without major disruption.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that the UK man, reported in local press as ‘Clement Paul’, had been handed over to police by the MNDF for questioning “but is not legally under arrest.”

MNDF Spokesperson Major Abdul Raheem earlier told Minivan News that a bomb threat was received by the control tower after a passenger on the aircraft declared there was a bomb on board.

“We checked the entire aircraft and there was no bomb,” he said, adding that the aircraft was soon given the all clear.

An airport official told Minivan News that the MNDF had searched passenger baggage on the airline, but added that there were no disruptions to service and no flights were delayed.

The Sri Lankan Airlines flight took off from Colombo on Monday afternoon and was scheduled to fly to London with 199 passengers.

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Local councils elections “unfair and one sided”, claims MDP

The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Deputy Secretary General Mohamed Imthiyaz has said in a statement that the Local Council Elections were not conducted fairly, and accused the Elections Commission giving more power to a ”specific political party.”

Imthiyaz said that MDP’s complaint bureau had received “more than 1000 complaints” regarding the elections from different areas, which could potentially affect the result of the elections.

”MDP has requested the Elections Commission re-conduct elections in some councils and to recount the votes in some others,” said Imthiyaz.

MDP said it had received information that an under-aged boy had voted in the local council elections and that house that should have been registered in Galolhu South was registered in Mid-Galolhu area.

”And in some vote papers, names of candidates who were dismissed were included, and when people have ticked near the dismissed candidate’s name the vote has been considered void,” said the MDP.

”The irresponsible and unfair actions of the Elections Commission had caused issues that could alter the result of Haa Alifu Atoll Kela, Raa Atoll Ungoofaaru, Noonu Atoll Miladhoo, Manadhoo, Laamu Atoll Gan and Maabidhoo.”

MDP has also said that because the Elections Commission has not yet revealed the preliminary result of some areas, it could cause further confusion.

President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeg and Vice President Ahmed Fayaz did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

The Maldivian Democracy Network declined to comment on the statement.

The Maldivian Democratic Party earlier released a statement claiming it had calculated the popular vote in the local council elections as 44% MDP, 40% DRP, based on current available data.

The popular vote reflects the overall political preference of voters, and has not yet been released by the Elections Commission (EC). The MDP said it produced the figures based on data currently published by the EC on its website.

Both parties declared victory and were celebrating this week after the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) won a decisive seat majority in the local council elections, while the MDP won control of major population hubs.

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Former education minister will be first Chancellor of Maldives National University

Former Education Minister Dr Musthafa Luthfy has been appointed by President Mohamed Nasheed as the Chancellor of the first university to be opened in the Maldives, reports Haveeru.

The Maldives National University will be formally inaugrated at Dharubaaruge tomorrow morning.

President Nasheed and Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik will address the ceremony. President Nasheed will also present MNU’s seal to the new Chancellor.

Dr Luthfy was the Tourism Minister under the former administration and the Education Minister under the MDP government, until he resigned with seven other cabinet ministers due to a constitutional technicality on reappointments, and the opposition-majority parliament’s refusal to approve the reappointed ministers.

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License-to-preach regulation contradicts freedom of speech, argues Islamic Foundation

The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives, led by Ibrahim Fauzy, have filed a case with the High Court of the Maldives in a bid to remove two articles of the Religious Unity Act, Act number 6/94.

President of the Foundation Fauzy told Minivan News that the two articles deemed contentious were articles A and B of the Act.

”The two articles state that a permission from the government will be required to preach, contradicting article 27 an 29 of the constitution which states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression subject to the tenets of Islam,” said the Islamic Foundation in a statement.

The Islamic Foundation said that Sheikh Fareed’s permission to preach was confiscated in 2003 but later returned in 2008.

During the last hearing of the case conducted in the Criminal Court, the state attorney admitted the case was presented according to the recent constitution while Sheikh Fareed’s lawyer Shaheem Ahmed claimed that the laws under the Religious Unity Act would be voided upon ratification as they were contrary to the constitution.

”The case was accepted by the High Court and it is being processed,” said Fauzy.

After the Islamic Foundation presented the case in the High Court, the Criminal Case has halted thecase against Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed pending the High Court verdict.

Sheikh Fareed was charged with violating the Religious Unity Act four years ago.

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Egypt’s revolution “as significant as the fall of the Berlin wall”

The Maldives government has praised the Egyptian demonstrators who succeeded in ousting President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years of autocratic rule.

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Aslam said the Egyptian experience demonstrated that “a belief in democracy, freedom and human rights are not the possession of one country or civilisation, but are rather universal and inalienable values shared by all mankind”.

“We wake up today in a new world. It is no exaggeration to say that the events of the past few weeks are as significant as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. We are witnessing the slow roll-back of dictatorships and autocracies, and their replacement by government based on consent and society based on tolerance and dignity for all.”

Aslam extended the Maldives’ full support to Egypt during the country’s transition to democracy, a process mirrored by the Maldives in 2008.

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