Category: News in Brief

President appoints new member to the JSC

President Abdulla Yameen has today appointed Mohamed Faisal as the president’s appointee to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC).

Faisal had previously filled the post of secretary general at the People’s Alliance – a party originally established by Yameen but dissolved by the Elections Commission in February this year.

The watchdog – charged with appointment, promotion, and disciplining of judges – has recently faced criticism from both Yameen and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party for its failure to include investigations into sitting judges.

In addition to the president’s representative, the constitution requires the ten-member commission to include the Majlis speaker; a judge from the Supreme Court, High Court and trial courts; the chair of the Civil Service Commission; the attorney general; and representatives from the Majlis, the public and the legal profession.

Faisal replaces previous presidential appointee to the judicial watchdog, Shamsul Falah, who was appointed on November 28, 2013.

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Four runaway girls from orphanage handed to Gender Ministry

Four girls who ran away from Villingili orphanage – ‘Kudakudhinge Hiya’ – have been found and were handed over to the Ministry of Health and Gender on Tuesday, police have confirmed.

According to local newspaper Haveeru, the ministry had previously revealed that the biggest problem at the orphanage was that the elderly children were not allowed to spend time outdoors.

In March last year police returned seven children who were found on a small vessel in the lagoon near Villimalé.

A further two girls were detained by the police in January 2013 after reportedly running away from the orphanage. The girls were held in Maafushi prison, prompting the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives to call for their immediate release.

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Man sentenced to jail for life for trafficking 9.13 grams of heroin

The Criminal Court has sentenced a man to life in jail for trafficking 9.13 grams of heroin.

Mohamed Azeen of Thaa Atoll Kandudhoo Island was arrested in Malé on Apriln13, 2013 with 10 rubber packets containing drugs concealed in a cigarette pack.

He had also thrown two rubber packets on the ground when the police attempted to arrest him.

The Criminal Court imposed a MVR100,000 fine (US$6472) on Azeen which he has been ordered to pay within one  month.

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President’s Office calls for applicants to post of information commissioner

The President’s Office has called for applicants for Information Commissioner – a post created under the recently ratified Right to Information Act.

Announced in the government gazette today, the applications process will be open until 3pm on June 1.

Under the act, President Abdulla Yameen is mandated to appoint a commissioner for a five-year term who will enforce citizens’ rights to information. The appointment is required within six months of its ratification in January.

The commissioner has the power enforce a fine on information officers who deliberately refuse access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR5000 (US$324).

The successful applicant will also be responsible for fining any individual who destroys requested information, or obstructs a public authority from providing access to information. Such a fine may not exceed MVR25,000 (US$ 1621).

Under the act, any public authority is obliged to comply with a request for information within 21 days. However, if the request is relevant to an individual’s liberty or protection of a person’s life, information must be provided within 48 hours.

Following the passage of the act, local NGO Transparency Maldives described it as “an important step towards increasing transparency of the state institutions, ensuring greater accountability of public officials, and fighting corruption”.

Other key features of the act include the establishment of an information office in all state institutions, a seven-day period of response for information requests, and a 30-day period to provide the information or to explain a failure to do so.

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STO aiming for record MVR500 million profit this year

The State Trading Organization (STO) is aiming to reach a record MVR500 million (US$32.4 mllion) in profits this year, the company’s Managing Director Adam Azim said yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference at the company’s head office, Azim said its monthly profits have been increasing since his management took charge [in November 2013], adding that the company and its subsidiaries made MVR61 million (US$3.9 million) in profits in April

Explaining that it was the largest monthly profit since its inception, Azim said the figure was a MVR12 million (US$700,000) increase from that made in April 2013.

One of the reasons for the increasing profits is the management’s efforts to reduce spending, said Azim. Another reason for the increased profits, he explained, was because the company has now started receiving some of the approximately MVR1 billion owed by the government and other state-owned companies.

Noting hat the new management has made it a priority to ensure the prices of goods sold to the public are not increased, he said that there had been a substantial decrease in the prices of construction materials sold by the company.

STO is a public company with more than ninety two percent government shares, and was established as a state owned enterprise in 1979 .

The company’s annual general meeting for the year 2013 is set to be held tomorrow night at Traders Hotel where new board director representing shareholders will be appointed.

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Mamic confident team can progress in AFC Cup despite early defeat

Maldives national football team coach Drago Mamic has insisted his team can still reach the knockout phase of the AFC Challenge cup after “cheap” goals cost them three points in yesterday’s tournament opener.

“I am very sorry that we concede very cheap goals and that’s why I told you before that one skillful player can change the score and I still believe that we can qualify for the semi-final,” Mamic told maldivesoccer.com.

Myanmar striker Kyaw Ko Ko scored twice as the Maldives lost 3-2 despite dominating much of the game before a capacity crowd at Malé’s Galolhu Stadium.

Despite going down to ten men after just 22 minutes, the tournament’s lowest ranked side were two goals up by half-time. Number 10, Kyaw, was not tracked in the 39th minute, neatly latching onto a through-ball to give his team the lead.

Kyaw was again involved in the second goal, exchanging a one-two before setting up Nyein Chan Aung for a simple finish.

After pulling a goal back ten minutes after the re-start, the Maldives hopes of salvaging a point were ended as an unmarked Kyaw struck again in added time. The Maldives’ captain and talisman Ali Ashfaq immediately replied with what was no more than a consolation goal.

Mamic said that his players may have relaxed following the sending off, suggesting that his instructions to closely mark the dangerous Kyaw were not followed.

When asked about the absence of playmaker Mohamed Arif from the staring eleven, Mamic said that the midfielder had been unable to train in the run-up to the tournament and so was not considered fully fit.

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Family Court slams corruption investigators for disrespectful behavior

The Family Court has slammed a corruption investigator who was denied entry to the court on May 15 for disrespectful behavior, local media have reported.

In a letter to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), the Family Court said the actions of the commission’s investigators were “not that expected in a court of law” and denounced false media reports that the court had verbally abused and thrown out the investigators.

ACC President Hassan Luthfy told local media last week he was saddened by the court’s refusal to provide information and had denied two investigators entry and access to information despite warrants by the commission.

The court further said it has provided the requested information previously and would hand over the information again if a “clear” request was made.

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Castaway Maldives sues Police Welfare Corporation

Castaway Maldives Pvt Ltd has lodged a complaint at the Civil Court over the Police Welfare Corporation’s decision to annul a resort development bid.

The company won a bid to develop a resort on an island owned by the Police Welfare Corporation on November 14, 2013. However, before a sub-lease agreement could be signed, the police unilaterally annulled the bid on May 14.

The company, in a complaint filed yesterday, asked the Civil Court to issue an injunction preventing the corporation from proceeding with new plans for Lhaviyani atoll Maabinhuraa Island.

The tourism company has also asked the court to order the police to sign a sub-lease agreement with the company.

Castaway Maldives said the police had justified its decision, citing delays to signing the sub-lease agreement. But the company claimed it was the police’s failure to complete negotiations over the agreement that had delayed the process.

A police media official today refused to comment on the matter.

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President appoints high commissioners to Sri Lanka and Pakistan

President Abdulla Yameen has filled the posts of Maldivian High Commissioner in both Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The president appointed Zahiya Zareer of Galolhu Zafna to the post of High Commissioner to Sri Lanka while Major General (Retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel was appointed to the vacant post in Pakistan.

Zahiya Zareer served as education minister during former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration.

Major General (Retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel acted as chief of the defence force during the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

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