Category: News in Brief

President appoints deputy minister of finance and treasury

President Abdulla Yameen has appointed Imran Salih of Fehivilaage in the island of Hithadhoo in Addu City to the post of deputy minister of finance and treasury.

Local media reports that Salih has a Masters Degree in finance from the International Islamic University of Malaysia and a Bachelors Degree in accounting from the Multimedia University in Malaysia.

According to the President’s Office website, there are currently sixty other political appointees of the deputy ministerial rank.

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24 year old male found dead in Malé

A 24 year old male has been found dead in Annaarumaage in Henveiru ward of capital city Malé on Tuesday morning.

Police stated that the discovery of the body was reported to them at 9:15am on Tuesday.

The body has been moved to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital with the aid of the Maldives National Defence Force.

Police did not reveal the identity of the male, or the circumstances surrounding the death.

A police media official stated that the reasons for death will be known after further investigation.

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Anti-trafficking conference concludes in Malé

A regional anti-human trafficking conference titled ‘Consultation to promote sub-regional collaboration on combating trafficking in persons’, held in Malé has concluded.

The conference – inaugurated by the Minister for Economic Development Mohamed Saeed – was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration Sri Lanka’s Solidarity Center, reports Sun Online.

The conference was attended by representatives from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Dr Ahmed Al Hashemi, Director of Middle East Centre for Training and Development is reported to have provided a presentation detailing how the UAE has employed a number of anti-trafficking mechanisms including electronic salary transfers and the establishment of specialist anti-trafficking committees within government departments.

The Maldives passed its first anti-trafficking legislation in December, defining the practice as a crime for the first time. The country had previously been placed on the US State Department’s Tier 2 Watch List for human trafficking for four years in a row, with suggestions that it could move to the third tier failing steps to address the issue.

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MNDF searches for missing Dhuvaafaru boat passenger

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has launched a search operation for man who went missing during a boat journey between the capital Malé and Dhuvaafaru, in Raa atoll, on Friday.

Mohamed Shaneez, 36, is reported to have last been seen between 2:45am and 3am on Saturday, with fellow passengers only noticing his absence when the boat arrived in Dhuvaafaru at 9am.

The boat made a 6am stop at Maakurathu island, with conflicting media reports as to whether the Shaneez was still on board at this point.

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Taxis notified to fit vacancy signs by April 15

The Transport Authority of Maldives has notified taxis to place a sign on top of the car to indicate vacancy to passengers before April 15 2014, reported local media Sun Online.

“The light-up taxi boards have to fit the authority’s standards. Places producing or selling these taxi boards will have a special permit issued by this authority,” Sun Online reported the authority as saying.

Taxi regulations, published on 16 December 2013, imposed fixed taxi fees of MVR25 per trip between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. and MVR30 per trip between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

In addition to these regulations, taxi drivers are obligated to have on display their name and the contact details of their taxi centres.

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Man arrested after trying to escape from courtroom window

A man who was taken to Criminal Court for a hearing to extend his detainment period has been arrested on Saturday (March 29) after he tried to escape by jumping out of a second floor window.

Local media outlet Haveeru reported that the Criminal Court identified the man as Hassan Nashid from Gaafu Alif atoll Dhevvadhoo. He was a suspect in a drug-related case, according to the court.

The man reportedly tried to escape after the court had extended his custody by five days. After jumping out the window, the man landed near the vehicle in which he was brought in, and was immediately apprehended by the police who were standing nearby.

According to Haveeru, police said that the man is now under their custody, but declined to comment on the injuries he had sustained from jumping through the window.

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India permits 291 tonnes of pulses to be exported to Maldives until 2016-17

India has permitted exports of an estimated 291 tonnes of pulses, the shipment of which is banned, to Maldives until 2016-17, reported the Economic Times.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has said in a recent statement, “Export of pulses to Maldives has been permitted for the years 2014-15 to 2016-17,” reported the online media outlet.

According to the report, a source stated that although exports of pulses are banned, the Indian government ships the commodity to the neighbouring country for diplomatic purposes.

Pulses exports have been banned in India since June 2006 in order to augment the domestic supply and to check prices.

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Police conclude investigation of MP Alhan Fahmy’s stabbing

Police have forwarded a case against two suspects for prosecution after concluding its investigation into the stabbing of MP Alhan Fahmy at a restaurant in Malé on February 1.

Two suspects – Mohamed Sameeh of Shiny, Fuvahmulah, and Mohamed Naseem, of Ulfamanzil, Hithadhoo – were arrested shortly after the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party MP for Feydhoo was stabbed in the back at the Breakwater cafe’ in the artificial beach area of the capital.

The suspects have been kept in pre-trial detention since their arrest on the night of February 1.

Alhan returned to the Maldives earlier this month after undergoing treatment in Sri Lanka, walking with a crutch following initial fears that the wound received to his back may have caused permanent paralysis.

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EC announces official results of Majlis polls

The Elections Commission (EC) announced the official results last night of the parliamentary elections that took place on Saturday, March 22.

A number of ballot boxes were reopened to address complaints from candidates before the official results were announced. However, the recounts did not affect the outcome in any of the 85 constituencies.

The official results did not differ from the preliminary results announced last week.

As 189,482 out of 240,652 eligible voters cast their ballots on Saturday, voter turnout for the parliamentary polls was 78.80 percent.

The number of male voters was 95,744 while the number of female voters was 93,898.

Speaking at a press conference held last night to announce the official results, EC member Ali Mohamed Manik noted that 52 out of 75 complaints lodged at the national complaints bureau had been addressed.

None of the remaining complaints could affect the outcome, he said.

Under electoral laws, candidates could file cases at the High Court within 14 days if they are unhappy with decisions by the complaints bureau.

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