Day: December 15, 2011

Police arrest four men for abducting, drugging and gang-raping 16 year-old girl

Police have arrested four suspects for the abduction and gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in a guest house in Male last weekend.

The girl was grabbed by the men while she was walking down the road around midday on December 11, forced into a car and taken to a guest house, Head of the Police Child Protection Unit, Superintendent Ali Shujau told the press on Thursday.

She was drugged by the men and gang raped, he said, adding that the men filmed the crime.

The four suspects were identified by the Police as 20 year-old Azmeel Ahmed of Hithadhooge, Seenu atoll Hithadhoo, 25 year-old Mohamed Azum of White Sea, Seenu atoll Maradhoo-Feydhoo, 19 year- old Ismail Muneez of Maafannu Hiyama and 21 year-old Ahmed Nabeeh Moosa of Maafannu Fennairu.

They all were arrested withing 34 hours after the police were alerted to the crime. All the suspects have previous criminal records for drug abuse and assaults, Shujau added.

According to the police the family reported the crime after the girl went home and told about it. Police did not reveal how the victim reached home.

Shujau noted that the girl could not give a clear statement of the attack, although she identified two of them by their “gang names”. He also added that it is too soon to say whether the attack was directed to her.

A similar case was also reported in March 2010, when group of 15 men abducted, drugged and gang raped a 20 year old girl on the island of Hithadhu in Addu City.

Shujau had earlier told the press that police investigations have revealed that school children aged 14 to 18 were being lured to guest houses by adults.

Police found that minors were sexually abused at guest houses after being lured through the internet, he said.

The reported sexual assaults on young girls, women and even female expatriate workers, has been on the rise at an alarming rate this year.

Police confirmed on Wednesday, that they had arrested four men on accusations of attempting to sexually assault a 15 year-old girl on Nolhivaramfaru in Haa Dhaalu Atoll. The girl fortunately escaped with no injuries, police said.

In October, police arrested two men and a minor on suspicion of raping an Indian nurse working in the island of Gulhi in Kaafu Atoll.

In another attack in September, group of five men including the chairman of an anti-drug NGO allegedly drugged and raped a 15 year old girl on the island of Guraidhoo in Kaafu Atoll.

In August police also arrested five men on the island of Innamaadhoo in Raa Atoll for allegedly raping a 16 year-old girl. While in the same month, an Indian gynecologist working at Hoarafushi Health Centre in Haa Alifu Atoll, was also attacked by a group of masked men at her house in August. She fought with the men and was able to escape.

A group of five were also arrested in May, on suspicion of gang raping an 18 year-old girl on Maabaidhoo in Laamu Atoll.

A 74-year-old woman was brutally raped by an alleged 19 year old on Hithadhoo in Addu City. She had to undergo surgery after the incident.

A 2006 study by the then Ministry of Gender and Family found that one in three Maldivian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives, while one in five women in the same age group reported experiencing this from an intimate partner.

Moreover, one in six women in the capital Male’ and one in eight countrywide reported experiencing childhood sexual abuse under the age of 15 years.

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Independent MP proposes amendment to “defend” local businesses from airport developer

Kulhudhuffushi-South Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed has proposed an amendment to the Business Registration Bill in a bid to reserve airport shops and services for local ownership.

India infrastructure giant GMR currently claims exclusive rights to certain duty free items to be sold at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), he said.

“My view is that GMR’s role has shifted from management to ownership,” Nasheed told Minivan News. “This is all about excessive and detrimental penetration into the local economy.”

A parliamentary committee is reviewing the bill and its proposed amendment.

In response to inquiries from Minivan News, GMR issued the following statement: “As part of the concessionaire we follow the terms and conditions of the agreement between the government of the Maldives and us and expect the government too to abide by it.

“The concessionaire agreement grants and specifies entitlement to directly or concession out retail activities at INIA.”

GMR is currently leasing Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) for a 25-year development project. Upon assuming management of the airport earlier this year, all airport shop contracts were set to expire on December 31, 2011 as per an earlier agreement with Maldives Airline Company Limited (MACL), with the exception of Spice Island.

The Economic Ministry today announced that GMR Male’ Retail has been registered in the Maldives. It is one of two locally-registered businesses under the corporation’s name.

Nasheed said his proposal refers to “duty free, customs clearance, cargo clearance, and the management of bonded warehouses,” industries which he believes can safely be trusted to Maldivian ownership.

“I have always objected to divesting ownership of Maldivian businesses with foreign investors when the business is within the local capacity and competency,” he explained.

“I respect that there are some areas of business and industry in which the Maldives has neither capacity nor competency. But the enterprises covered in my proposal have traditionally been local affairs. There is no reason to exclude them now simply as perks for foreign investors.”

Nasheed pointed out that many Maldivian businesses grew up around and depend on airport operations. Maldivian Island Aviation has allegedly lost business since the transfer of management, while the group running the Commercially Important Persons (CIP) lounge is now defunct.

In November of this year, GMR announced its intention to take control of cargo handling services starting in 2012. The move has allegedly forced Maldivian businesses Freight Forwarding Services and Bonito Group to lay off several employees.

In recent news, the Alpha MVKB duty-free shop at the airport was forcibly vacated by GMR and Customs officials eight months after GMR’s original notice. Rulings from the Civil and High courts upheld GMR’s right to terminate the shop’s contract, however company CEO Ibrahim ‘MVK’ Shafeeq has launched a protest under the slogan ‘Go GMR Go!’

“I understand the contractual obligation on the government’s part, and I respect the bidding process and the business competition that comes with it,” Nasheed reflected. “The airport is a gateway for tourism, but GMR’s excessively favorable terms are excessively disadvantageous to Maldivians.”

The Maldivian government signed a 25-year contract with GMR on 28 June 2010.

Under the contract the Maldivian government receives:

  • A sum of US$78 million as advance payment which is to be deducted from the profit due to government.
  • 1% of the Gross Revenue in the first four years (2010-2014) and 10% of the Gross Revenue from the general business in the remaining years.
  • 15% of the Gross Fuel Sales in the first four years and 27% of the Gross Fuel Sales in the remaining years.
  • GMR is also to invest US$375 million over a period of 25 years in construction of the new terminal.

Nasheed claimed that the government saw the GMR deal as an income generating source to solve income problems at the time. “But the deal wasn’t revised over the years,” and GMR has meanwhile made significant profits from jet fuel sale.

“GMR gets its fuel from State Trading Organisation (STO). STO rates have remained the same over the past year, however GMR’s rates have been raised twice.” He added that landing and airline fees have increased, and voiced concern that the price hike would deter business.

Meanwhile, GMR has recently opened a 30-office Airline Offices Complex, and several airlines including Ethihad and Hainan have lately begun services to Male’.

The Business Registration bill reserves certain areas of business for local owners. Nasheed said his proposal aims to enlarge that domain by two to three commodities.

“I intend to use my role as a parliamentarian to propose this amendment,” he said. “It’s just an initial step for the proposal, and I’m not sure whether it will survive the whole process. But I’m hopeful and I feel good about having done it.”

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Customs investigates GMR eviction of Alpha MVKB

Maldives Customs Authority has said it will take “necessary legal actions” against GMR, which it claims illegally attempted to vacate Alpha MVKB Duty-Free shop at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), reports local newspaper Haveeru.

Customs is investigating the case, an unidentified senior official reportedly told Haveeru.

After the attempted eviction on December 5, Customs Director Ismail Nashid told Minivan News that goods at duty free shops fall under Customs’ supervision and the “unsold goods can only be taken out of the shops with their permission”.

However, “GMR took out the goods without notifying us,” a separate Customs official told Haveeru today.

GMR directed Minivan to Customs over the issue. Customs did not respond to Minivan’s inquiries at time of press.

GMR began dismantling the Alpha MVKB Duty Free Shop, which sells alcohol, cigarettes, and watches, after “several notices” to vacate the area were “ignored” by the owners, GMR’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mahika Chandrasena earlier told Minivan News.

MVK has meanwhile decided to protest GMR’s management, in spite of rulings from the High and Civil courts that GMR’s termination of its contract with Alpha MVKB Duty-Free was lawful.

The High Court noted that GMR gave notice on March 1 and, as per the agreement, the contract terminated on March 31. As no party could extend the termination notice, the court concluded that MVK had no right to remain at the airport without approval from GMR. Alpha MVKB was originally leased for 10 years under an agreement between MVK and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), with a one month termination clause, the court noted.

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Opposition calls for no-confidence motion against Economic Minister over ADC

The opposition has announced it will forward a no-confidence motion against Minister of Economic Development, Mahmoud Razee, for handing the airport to Indian infrastructure giant GMR.

The Civil Court last week ruled against GMR in a case filed by the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), challenging its right to collect a US$25 (Rf385.5) Airport Development Charge (ADC) and US$2 (Rf30.8) Insurance Charge from January 2012.

The DQP had claimed that a pre-existing Airport Service Charge (ASC) of US$18 (Rf277.56) invalidates the ADC, which was specified in the concession agreement signed with the government last year.

GMR shares on the Mumbai stock exchange fell 7.57 percent on the day of Civil Court ruling, which could potentially leave GMR facing an annual US$25 million shortfall, India’s Economic Times reported.

“GMR has been permitted to collect ADC and Insurance charge under the Concession Agreement signed between GMR-MAHB, Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) and The Republic of Maldives (acting by and through its Ministry of Finance and Treasury), and as such has set up processes for ADC collection from 1st January 2012 supported by an information campaign to ensure adequate awareness,” the company said in a statement following media reports of the ruling.

Villufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed alleged today challenged the legally of Razee’s signing of the document, claiming that it allowed GMR to “unlawfully tax” passengers, and claimed he was responsible.

Haveeru reported that the opposition parliamentary group allied against Razee included MPs from the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and several independent MPs.

Razee said he was “waiting for the  awaiting the motion to be duly processed.”

“There’s nothing wrong or illegal about [the contract]. It’s up to the MPs to deliberate and decide what is to be done,” he said. “If there was anything illegal, then MPs should have had a look at it when it went through the Majlis. There were some issues that were sent to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which looked into it and things moved forward.”

Following the civil court ruling last week, President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said he believed the government was obligated to appeal the ruling in the High Court. However neither Zuhair nor the Attorney General were responding to calls at time of press.

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Bids open for Addu Convention Center

Bidding documents for the management of Addu’s Equatorial Convention Centre have been purchased by Immigration Controller Abdulla Shahid, MVK Maldives and Singaporean PAVL Leo.

The documents will be sold until January 18 for Rf2,000 (US$129) for locals and Rf4,626 (US$300) for foreigners. Bids are due by January 19.

The three parties were announced at a pre-bid meeting at the convention center, attended by three other interested parties: Singapore-based Jason Globe Private Limited, local company Liko Travels Private Limited and Abdulla ‘Damas’ Solih of Karankaage/Seenu atoll Hulhudhoo.

Indian and Chinese companies are still expressing interest, reports Haveeru.

The center was built this year for the 17th annual SAARC Summit on a budget of Rf150 million (US$9.7 million). The area is to be developed under the Tourism Act and the Decentralisation Act.

The bid reportedly includes the 7.7 hectares of land on which the centre is built, the 21.2 hectares of pond area that surrounds the centre, and an additional 67 hectares of land on which to build a city hotel.

Addu City Council plans to hand over the centre to a winning party in February 2012. The projected time frame is 18 months.

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Tourism arrivals would drop “10-36 percent” if government provokes terrorist attack, warns Adhaalath

The religious Adhaalath Party has sent a letter to parliament warning that a terrorist attack in the Maldives would reduce tourist arrivals “by 10-36 percent for the next 12 months.”

The letter was sent to parliament’s national security committee which has begun debating whether to permit Israeli flights to land in the Maldives.

“If there is a terrorist attack in the Maldives due to the commencement of Zionist Israel’s flight operations to Maldives, the tourist arrival rates for the next 12 months will decline by 10-36 percent,” Adhaalath predicted in the letter, adding that the tourism industry would face a loss of US$200 million to US$1 billion. The party did not elaborate on how it reached the figures.

Adhaalath severed its coalition agreement with the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in September, soon after the Transport Ministry granted a licence to Israeli flag carrier El Al to begin operations to Maldives.

Since then, Adhaalath has been campaigning against the licence, stirring strong anti-Israeli sentiment.

In the letter forwarded to the national security committee, which has an MDP majority, Adhaalath alleged that the Israeli flights are “targeted by the terrorists” and said that terrorist “eyes” would turn on Maldives if the operations commence, posing “serious threats to the national security”.

MPs debated Adhaalath’s letter during Wednesday’s committee meeting and decided to summon the head of the Maldives security forces to examine the claims.

“We will discuss the concerns raised by the Adhaalath Party and consult security forces to determine whether action should be taken,” said committee head, MDP MP Ali Waheed.

MDP MP Mohamed Thoriq was meanwhile quoted in local media as calling for an investigation into all the allegations Adhaalath has made regarding the Maldives’ ties with Israel, claiming that as a 100 percent muslin country, the Maldives must “be prepared for any threats from Israel”.

Sun Online reported MDP MP Mohamed Nazim meanwhile suggested conducting research into whether Jewish arrivals to the Maldives in the past had caused any negative effect on the Islamic faith, while Independent MP Mohamed Zubair was quoted as claiming that Israeli flight operations would “bring no benefit to the Maldivian economy”.

Transport Minister Adhil Saleem observed that opponents of allowing Israel to fly to the Maldives “don’t seem to have an issue with Israeli tourists coming to the Maldives and spending their money.”

His mandate as Transport Minister was to increase air, sea and cargo transport to and from all countries, Saleem said, “and if there is no specific legal exemption for Israel, I cannot treat it any differently as that would mean I was corrupt.”

He would not comment on whether allowing El Al to fly to the Maldives posed a security risk, deferring to the defence forces. There were, he said, many Muslim Israelis and a number of Islamic holy sites in Israel, such as the Masjid-Al-Aqsa, and 500-800 Maldivians flew there each year.

According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Arab population of Israel in 2010 was estimated at 1,573,000, 20 percent of the country’s total population and almost five times that of the Maldives.

El Al is notably the only commercial airline equipped with infrared counter-measures for defence against anti-aircraft missiles, according to the its Wikipedia entry. All flights are manned by armed sky marshals, the cockpit is protected by a two door ‘mantrap’, and the baggage hold is armoured to protect the passenger cabin from explosive devices.

The airline’s last reported security incident occurred in 2002 when a 23 year-old Israeli Arab was apprehended after attempting to break into the cockpit with a pocket knife. Earlier that same year a gunman killed two people and was shot dead at an El Al check in counter at Los Angeles International Airport.

The first El Al flight was due to arrive in the Maldives on December 13, however Saleem said the airline has so far yet to forward the scheduling to the Ministry.

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Male’ bus service bids open to four groups

MVK Maldives, Shiyam Auto Garage, AK Construction and MVK’s Ahmed Nazim have shown interest in providing bus service to Male’, the city council has announced.

City Council will accept bids for the project today, December 15, from the four groups exclusively, Haveeru reports. The parties are required to present a Rf500,000 (US$33,300) guarantee at the time of bidding.

The council will evaluate bids according to the parties’ demonstration of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its commitment to renewable energy.

Previously, Male’ bus service was operated by MVK Maldives for a trial period. The agreement covering the trial service expired this month.

MVK has been requested to continue service until a party is selected and an agreement reached.

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