Month: April 2011

Maldives climbs to fourth in “Seven Wonders” competition

The Maldives has climbed to fourth place in a competition to be named as one of a “New Seven Wonders of Nature” after having fallen down the rankings in January this year.

The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) said it had been working at international travel shows and other events to try and boost its standing in the competition, whose finalists are expected to be announced on November 11 this year by Switzerland-based organiser New Open World Corporation, according to Haveeru.

Along with the Maldives, 28 destinations are competing within the competition, which organisers claim is 90 percent based on international voting and 10 percent on responses from within the host nations themselves.

Back in January, the MTPB had said that the country had fallen to fifth place in the competition after having been previously placed third.

According to the event organisers, the “New Seven Wonders” programme is operated under two distinct arms as both a Foundation and a commercial operation.

Along with the not-for-profit New7Wonders Foundation, the group has claimed to have transferred its commercial operations to its licensing group, New Open World Corporation, which it has said is needed to cover costs.

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Democracy not the Maldives’ only game in town: Himal

Two years after the current Maldivian government assumed power, democracy most certainly has not become ‘the only game in town’, writes Azra Naseem for Himal magazine.

“Ample evidence has emerged during this short period that other currencies of power, deeply embedded in socio-cultural norms formed over centuries of varying types of authoritarian governance, are still very much in circulation in the country. These forms of power most clearly and commonly manifest as clientelism and patriomonialism, where power is exercised through informal networks based on political favours, connections between friends, family and a clique of elite individuals and groups. Such networks of informal power exist in perpetual tension with the official institutions of democracy. In the Maldives, they have created an atmosphere that discourages popular participation, makes a mockery of the rule of law, renders problematic the delivery of public services, discourages both domestic and foreign investment, and is highly conducive to corruption, rent-seeking and other forms of abuse.

“Three months into 2010, the Majlis passed a no-confidence motion against the then-auditor general, Ibrahim Naeem, over allegations of corruption. Naeem was at the time involved in high-profile investigations of members of the former regime for alleged embezzlement of millions of (US) dollars from state funds. The charges, for which the Majlis eventually removed Naeem from office, accused him of using a state credit card to buy a tie and charter a boat for a domestic trip. All MPs from the ruling Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) voted against the motion, but former President Gayoom’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) holds the Majlis majority, with the People’s Alliance, led by Gayoom’s brother, MP Abdulla Yameen. Several MDP MPs alleged the accusations against Naeem were politically motivated, but without a Majlis majority, failed to prevent Naeem’s removal from office. With Naeem gone, the cases he was investigating disappeared from the public domain.

“Both the law community and the media have been notably lax in taking issue with the lack of an independent judiciary. This silence exposes the most inexplicable features of the Maldives’ new democracy; it is also one of its most dangerous. The Maldivian media is an interesting beast, the make-up and characters of which is yet to be analysed in any depth despite the explosion in media outlets and output with the transition to democracy. It was only recently, in February this year, that the Maldives Media Council, established in May 2010, got around to adopting a code of ethics for the country’s media professionals. Prior to this, only the state-owned broadcaster, MNBC, possessed a written code of ethics, and that was only published in mid-2010.

“Very interesting in the context of media-judiciary relations is a provision in the Media Council’s Code of Ethics banning the media from publishing any material that contradicts or questions the findings of an official investigative body or the ruling of a court. Only legal or professional experts or academic analysts are allowed to publish such commentary, according to the Code. This raises two possibilities: the Maldivian Media Council does not regard local journalists as professionals with the ability to critique or question a court ruling; or two, it regards court rulings as beyond scrutiny.

Full story

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President appoints members of Maldives Broadcasting Commission

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed members to the Maldives Broadcasting Commission following their approval by parliament.

Members appointed were: Badhuru Naseer, Aishath Hana, Mohamed Shaheeb, Mariyam Shauqy, Ibrahim Ashraf, Moomina Adam and Abdulla Shujau.

Letters of appointment were presented at a ceremony held yesterday, during which the President emphasised the important of the media to governance and development, and urged the commission to take no action that would constrain media freedom.

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Dhiraagu announces usage limits for billed data services

Telecoms provider Dhiraagu has said it will be introducing usage-limits for its postpaid billed services after customer feedback highlighted concerns over smart phone owners using “excessive data” amounts.

In a statement issued today, the company claimed that it will be issuing usage limits as well as sending SMS alerts detailing when certain amounts of a monthly data allocation had been used by each of its customers.

The limits being set by Dhiraagu will be based on each customer’s previous individual usage as well as their payment history, the company has claimed.

A spokesperson for the company was unavailable to detail which specific services the limitations will apply to at the time of going to press.

“This is an initiative based on feedback from customers and will facilitate customers to better understand and control their usage levels,” Dhiraagu said in a statement.  “Customers will also have the option to change their usage limit in discussion with Dhiraagu, should they wish to do so.”

According to the company, the new usage limit scheme is anticipated to be fully implemented as of June 2011, by which point contracted customers will receive an individually set usage-limit.  This limit will be accompanied by SMS alerts indicating when customers have used 70 and then 85 percent of their total data allowance.

Dhiraagu said that customers will also be able to check the balance of an individual bill as well as their usage limits by sending an SMS to 727 or calling 123 on their phones.

Rival telecoms group Wataniya was unable to respond to Minivan News at the time of going to press over whether it has considered implementing similar usage measures for its data services.

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Court warrant issued for arrest of MDP MP Adil on child molestation charges

The Criminal Court has today issued a court warrant for the arrest of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Hassan Adil.

A police spokesperson confirmed that court warrant was issued and for charges of child molestation, but declined to provide further information.

When asked about Adil’s future in the party should he be found guilty, MDP Chairperson Mariya Ahmed Didi told Minivan News that if Adil was found guilty “then of course the party should [take action]. The party does not condone such acts. But we should only speculate after the court has come to a verdict.”

She referred Minivan News to Parliamentary Group Leader ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, however his phone was switched off at time of press. MDP Parliamentary group’s former spokesperson MP Ahmed Shifaz said that he had heard about the incident but declined to comment on the matter.

Last month local newspaper Haveeru published an article reporting that police and the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) were conducting a joint investigation regarding child molestation allegations against a MP, which was later removed from the newspaper’s website.

HRCM President Maryam Azra told Minivan News at the time that she did not know whether the commission was investigating the case.

”We are trying to find out who it was that has told Haveeru so,” she said at the time.

Azra did not respond to Minivan News today at time of press.

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan said he had no information on the issue.

Over the past year there has been an increase in reports of child abuse, including by high-profile individuals in the Maldives. Prominent Quran reciter Hussein Thaufeeq, who appears every day on TV and teaches Quran to children, was recently arrested on numerous child molestation charges.

Adil, a former member of the opposition-aligned Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), did not appear in parliament today.

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Four Maldivians questioned for allegedly committing bestiality with a goat

Police have questioned four men from the island of Makunudhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll following allegations the men had sex with a goat.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed police had questioned the men, but said no arrests had been made.

President of Makunudhoo Island Council Mohamed Rilwan said that all four of the men were aged between 19 and 21.

Two of the men were from Makunudhoo while the other two were originally from the neighboring island of Neykurendhu, he said.

‘’Lately the owner of the goat had been suspicious that something was wrong because he was finding things such as condoms on his farm where he keeps 50 goats,’’ said Rilwan.

‘’Early one morning when he went to the farm he saw two goats outside the fence and thought it was odd because there was no way a goat could have climbed over the fence.”

Rilwan said the owner then counted the goats and realised one goat was missing, and started searching for it.

‘’He found the goat near the beach, it was laid down on a cardboard paper. He observed that it could not walk properly and that its sexual organs were injured,’’ he said. ‘’He then reported the matter to the concerned authorities.’’

Rilwan said  more than five goats on the farm had been subjected to similar assaults.

‘’The owner has noted that he has frequently seen this group of four men near the farm. They have been selecting healthy muscular goats to do this,’’ he said.

Local newspaper Haveeru reported that the goat found on the beach had now died.

Haveeru also reported that the deceased animal was a billy-goat, however Rilwan told Minivan News that it was a nanny goat.

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Mahlouf resubmits resolution cutting Rf20K committee allowance, after MDP forces Mariya to withdraw it

MDP MP and Party Chairperson Maryia Ahmed Didi today withdrew a resolution to cut the controversial Rf20,000 (US$1550) committee allowance from the MP Privileges Bill.

Mariya told Minivan News today that she withdrew the resolution following a vote by the MDP Parliamentary Group.

“I was not at that meeting,” she said, “but I bowed to the party’s rules and took it out. However I told parliament that I did not want the Rf20,000 committee allowance myself and urged group members not to take the committee allowance. That got a good reaction from quite a few MPs.”

Mariya acknowledged that there was strong public sentiment against MPs receiving the committee allowance, including among the party’s own member base, which on top of their Rf 62,500 (US$4860) salaries would place Maldivian MP income on par with that of Sweden.

“The Rf 20,000 committee allowance was in the small print of a report from the monetary committee on the salary of all institutions,” Mariya noted.

Leader of MDP Parliamentary Group ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik was not responding to calls at time of press.

Following Mariya’s withdrawal of the resolution opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Mahlouf resubmitted it.

“I was the first one to raise it before Mariya, but the Speaker [DRP MP] Abdulla Shahid went with Mariya’s changes, perhaps because of the factional fight [the opposition] is having. When Mariya withdrew it today I resubmitted it.”

Mahlouf’s submission means the resolution will go to committee stage which will debate the matter before submitting it to the floor for a vote.

Increasing MP salaries by Rf 20,000 would be a huge blow to parliament’s credibility, Mahlouf said, “as the public do not believe we are working to their expectations.”

He said he believed Mariya had been pressured by the MDP Parliamentary Group to withdraw the resolution.

“I decided this by myself. Nobody pressures me any more because I don’t follow DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen in parliament,” said Mahlouf, who has sided with the party’s dismissed Deputy Leader Umar Naseer and its Honorary Leader, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, against Thasmeen’s faction.

The core issue regarding the salary increase, he explained, was the number of people petitioning MPs for money and assistance. This, he said, was the reason he had initially voted in favour in favour of the increase.

It was, he said, “very normal” for him to give away US$2000 (Rf 25,700) of his salary every month, “not only to constituents, but people from other parts of the country. People who are very poor come forward and ask me to please help them, and get very mad at me if I don’t.”

“At first I voted in favour [of the increase] because so many people were coming to me for help. This was something that was done for a long time back, and people now expect aid from parliamentarians. I was not a rich person before I was elected and I can’t give all my salary away, so that was the main reason I voted [in favour]. But maybe the next time somebody asks I can [justify] myself. When the general public are asking us not to do this, we should stop doing it.”

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CSC says Shakir retirement not linked to Facebook sex photo scandal

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has said that its decision to retire a former Director General of Male’ Municipality on his request was not linked to his suspension over a police investigation into his alleged appearance in the Facebook blackmail images.

CSC Director General Abdulla Saeed said that despite the suspension of Adam Shakir in relation to his alleged inclusion in graphic images obtained by a suspected online blackmail ring, the decision had been taken to grant his retirement and all related benefits as he had not been found guilty.

“Shakir requested to the commission (CSC) that he retire at his current age of 58 and according to the Maldivian Civil Service Act he was eligible to do so,” he said. “When the CSC got the request we decided to retire him.”

The Director General position at Male’ Municipality has since been changed to the title of secretariat for Male’ City Council.

Pointing to the Civil Service Act that outlines regulation for public sector employees, Saeed said that it was possible to retire staff once they reached 55 years of age. He added that Shakir’s suspension in relation to an ongoing police investigation had not impacted on this decision to grant retirement or his right to receive benefits as a result.

A number of high profile government and public figures are reportedly suspected of being depicted in the images already thought to be circulating the internet, although the CSC claimed it would not be acting on allegations alone.

“There is no relation between the suspension and the retirement decision. Shakir was suspended on information we had received but this has not gone to court yet and does not mean that he is guilty [of the allegations],” the CSC director general added. “Normally after a police investigation, it is for the court to decide whether a suspect is guilty.”

Newspaper Haveeru yesterday claimed that retirement had been granted on the grounds of the suspended civil servant’s health.

Although the investigation over the legitimacy of the alleged indecent images was continuing, Saeed said that Shakir was no longer a civil servant following his retirement and that there would not be a review of the decision to grant retirement benefits following the outcome of any potential trial in the future.

Blackmail investigation

The investigation into the alleged Facebook blackmail scandal has not yet led to any arrests regarding those alleged to have obtained or appeared in the images, though police have stressed that they are continuing to look into the case.

Police Sub Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News today that officers were unable to confirm the identity of any individuals under investigation on suspicion of involvement or inclusion in the videos and images due to the “complex nature” of the potential crimes. However, Shiyam confirmed that the CSC has sent information to the police that is was currently looking into as part of its investigations.

On Saturday, the Maldives Police Service confirmed that it was now holding four individuals in custody over their suspected involvement in the alleged plot to blackmail high profile figures with graphic images obtained via social network site Facebook after releasing another three suspects as part of its investigation.

The case first came to light in February, when police revealed that 14 individuals including a minor had been arrested on suspicion of obtaining hundreds of nude pictures and videos that were stored on computers and external hard drives. It was alleged that these images had been obtained through fake Facebook profiles that used the identical image of a young woman.

Police said at the time that two profiles with the names of ‘Lyshiaa Limanom’ and ‘Angelic Sharrown’ respectively were used by the suspects to gather files of individuals pictured in some cases performing explicit acts in the presence of minors. Investigators stated that they would also be investigating people pictured in the files to verify if any crimes had actually been committed within the images themselves.

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Over 1,600 unwanted jobs in Male’: HR Ministry

With over 1,600 job opportunities in the Male’ region, only 300 people seeking employment have registered at the Human Resource Ministry’s career guidance center, reports Haveeru.

According to Deputy Minister Hussein Ismail, a survey conducted last month showed that there were 1,639 vacancies in private businesses and offices in Male’ alone. Some 24,094 employers in Male’ were surveyed.

However, only 300 people have applied at the ministry’s career guidance centre looking for jobs.

Of the total 22,642 employees in private enterprises in the Greater Male’ region, 10,210 are expatriates. Some 23,849 locals are meanwhile employed in the civil service.

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