Category: News in Brief

Alleged drug lord released from custody after police were late to court

A man has been released from police custody yesterday (April 2) after being taken to the Criminal Court seven minutes past his legally allowed period of detention.

Local media reported that the police had arrested the individual on a drug case, and that he was allegedly one of the drug barons arrested earlier this year.

When authorities realised his detention period had expired, the man was released by police without charge.

According to the constitution, any person detained must be presented before a judge within 24 hours.

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Tree falls on students during anniversary assembly

Six students in Thinadhoo’s Ghaafu Dhaalu Atoll Education Centre have been injured by a falling tree during a celebration assembly this morning, local media has reported.

“The trunk hit six children and three of them have been admitted. No one suffered serious injuries,” school Principal Zeema Abdulla told Sun Online.

“They were hurt, and x-rays were taken. The children are in shock. They are being treated for the trauma, but there were no serious injuries.”

The principal explained that the incident happened at around 8:40am this morning during the school’s 30 year celebrations. She explained that the tree was decayed, though she noted that the weather had been calm this morning.

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Former chief of defence forces nominated for ambassador to Pakistan

Former Chief of Defence Forces Major General (Retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel has been nominated by President Abdulla Yameen as the next High Commissioner of Maldives to Pakistan.

Jaleel’s name was sent to parliament today, which approves presidential appointees to diplomatic posts following a vetting process.

Jaleel had signed for the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives in January.

After 32 years of service, the chief of defence forces under former President Mohamed Nasheed retired from the military in the wake of the controversial transfer of presidential power in February 2012.

In January 2013, Jaleel told parliament’s Government Oversight Committee that he believed former President Nasheed had “resigned under duress.”

Jaleel was among senior officers of the military facing charges over the controversial detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed in January 2012.

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Two losing candidates for parliament contests results at High Court

Two losing parliamentary candidates in the March 22 elections have contested the results at the High Court, local media reports.

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate for the Shaviyani Funadhoo constituency, Mohamed Abbas, and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate for the mid-Hithadhoo constituency, Mohamed Rasheed ‘Hiyalee’, filed cases at the High Court seeking annulment of the results.

The legal grounds for annulment remains unclear in both cases.

Incumbent PPM MP Ali Saleem was reelected in the Funadhoo constituency while MDP candidate, retired Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Didi, won the mid-Hithadhoo constituency seat.

According to electoral law, such cases must be filed at the High Court within 30 days of the announcement of official results by the Elections Commission.

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Progressive Coalition to hold public feast to celebrate election results

The Progressive Coalition is to host a feast for the public to mark the Majlis elections success, according to local media outlet Vnews.

Speaking in a press conference held in Progressive Party of Maldives offices in Janavaree magu, President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali stated that the feast, titled ‘Shukuriyyaa Gaumu’ or ‘Thank you, Nation’, was part of the festivities to mark their success in the parliamentary elections.

Muaz added that senior officials of the Coalition partners will participate in the feast. He also said that the Coalition had invited members of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party.

The Progressive Coalition won a total of 53 of the 85 Majlis seats being contested on March 22, with the subsequent addition of 4 more MPs-elect swelling the number to 57.

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MTDC sells Herethera resort for US$33 million

The Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has sold the Herethera Island Resort in Addu City for US$33 million to Singapore’s Canaries Private Ltd.

Of the four companies that submitted bids following a public announcement to sell the resort on December 18, MTDC said in a press release on Monday (March 31) that the Singaporean company submitted the highest bid.

The agreement to transfer lease holder rights for the resort was signed on March 31.

The press release also noted that following the sale of the resort property the MTDC has repaid a loan obtained from the Bank of Maldives for developing the resort.

In June 2013, MTDC’s board of directors decided to sell Herethera – the government-owned company’s biggest asset – for US$30 million to a company with a majority stake owned by local tourism magnate ‘Champa’ Hussain Afeef.

MTDC Managing Director Mohamed Matheen told newspaper Haveeru at the time that the decision was made to sell Herethera to Afeef’s Treetop Investment Pvt Ltd because the government corporation did not have the finances to profitably operate the resort.

He added that a large investment was needed to fix problems with the beach and the environment of the resort in the southernmost atoll.

Herethera was the first resort developed and opened by MTDC while Afeef was chairman of the government’s tourism company.

Tourism pioneer Afeef meanwhile told the local daily that the Herethera development would take place in conjunction with the development of the international airport in Gan.

In November 2012, thirty percent of the Addu International Airport Ltd (AIAL) was sold to Afeef’s Kasa Holdings to raise finances to develop the Gan airport in Addu City.

However, the decision to sell the resort to Afeef was reversed following the election of President Abdulla Yameen.

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Ministry of Environment holds panel discussion to reflect on World Water Day 2014

The Ministry of Environment and Energy yesterday (April 1) held a panel discussion as well as a question and answer session to mark the occasion of the World Water Day 2013, which fell on March 22.

According to the press statement, the presentations covered a range of topics from water and energy, the history of water and sewerage systems in Maldives, the current plans and policies of the government including summary information on projects, meteorological aspects related to water security, water as a human right, issues related to water quality, and how water is related to climate change.

The event was held mainly for the students studying environmental management, journalism, and teaching at the Maldives National University (MNU). Their participation was intended to enrich their knowledge and to orient them towards environmental issues in Maldives, the ministry’s press release stated.

The event was held in association with the Faculty of Science at MNU, with a welcome address given by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr Ali Shareef, followed by the speech by the State Minister for Environment and Energy Hasan Shah.

Minister of State for Environment and Energy Abdul Matheen Mohamed has previously told Minivan News that the government is emphasising integrated systems in order to make the best use of the water resources currently available in the country.

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New police policy to protect identity of suspects until prosection

The police have introduced a new policy which will protect the identity of persons taken into police custody until the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) charges them in court.

Newspaper Haveeru has reported a police media official as saying that the police will no longer reveal the names of suspects arrested before they are officially charged in the court – though it was noted that this policy remains at the discretion of senior officers.

The paper noted that police had not revealed the names of suspects arrested in connection with the stabbing of former MP for Feydhoo constituency Alhan Fahmy.

Haveeru reported that the official told the paper that the new policy was made after an agreement signed between the police and PGO.

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Government to showcase five development projects at Singapore investment forum

The Ministry of Economic Development will be presenting five investment opportunities planned for the country’s development at the Maldives Investment Forum in Singapore this month.

The forum will aim to increase the interest of Asian-region investors, and will be the first forum of such a scale to be hosted by the Maldives in another country.

President Abdulla Yameen will also be attending the forum, which is scheduled for April 25 at the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore.

“It is a showcasing of the largest infrastructure projects, for company registration, to the international investment community. The keynote will be by the president and we are working on the details for the showcase,” said Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Economic Development Yusuf Riza.

“We have had forums of this sort before, but not at this level, not with the president there – this has been done at the ministerial level.”

Although Riza said the details of the projects were yet to be announced, local media outlet Haveeru has reported details of the developments to be presented to potential investors.

These are reported to be: the development of Ihavandhippolhu as an economic zone, a project to develop ‘I-Heaven’ and Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), the second phase of Hulhumalé’s development, a project to develop the current commercial harbour at Thilafushi, and a scheme to extract fuel and gas from the Maldivian region.

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