Category: News in Brief

The government to take all major lands from Malé City Council

Following a cabinet decision on Tuesday, the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure has decided to take all major lands in Malé City from the city council.

Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr Mohamed Muiz today told Haveeru that the lands that will be taken from the council including the artificial beach, carnival area, south harbour area, lands near the T-Jetty, Usfasgandu, and Dharubaaruge.

Muiz told that the decision was made to develop these lands under a master plan formulated by the ministry, and that it was not because of any problems existing between the council and the ministry.

“We are taking almost all big lands [in Malé]. We will very soon inform the council in writing that those have been taken [from the council]. We will work with the council. I don’t think this will create any problems,” Muiz said.

The government has the authority to take such lands to utilise them for social and economic purposes. He said that all arrangements of transfer, including the issue of any existing contracts with a private party, will be dealt according to the laws and regulations.

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Police investigating child sex trafficking case

Police have arrested 45-year-old man from Lhohi in Noonu atoll on suspicion of  sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl after deceiving her with the promise of an education in the capital, Malé city.

According to Maldives Police Service, the man sexually abused the girl on several occasions during her stay in Malé with him. He then took her to Lhohi claiming that she could get a better education in Lhohi than in Malé.

After being arrest on March 13 in Lhohi Miladhoo, the court has extended his detention for 15 more days. The case is being investigated by Manadhoo police station.

The same man is also also suspected of sexually abusing another 13 year old girl, also from Lhohi.

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Saudi Arabia donates 50 tonnes of dates to Maldives

Saudi Arabia has given the Maldives 50 tonnes of dates in celebration of the holy month of Ramdan, local media has reported.

Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed told Haveeru that the annual gift would be shipped to the country soon, after which he would decide on how the dates ought to be distributed.

The dates – a traditional gift from the Arab kingdom to the Maldives since 1988 – will be stored by the State Trading Organisation before being distributed by the Local Government Association.

Ramadan will fall at the end of June this year.

Growing links between the two countries in recent months have seen moves to increase educational and aviation links, as well as a Saudi pledge to build ten “world class” mosques by Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz during a recent visit to the Indian Ocean nation.

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Man accused of sexually exploiting 13 year old girl

A 29 year old man has been taken into police custody after being found lying naked with a minor at a home in Alifu Alifu Rasdhoo.

According to a police statement released today (March 26) the raid on the house was carried out after a report was made by a member of the community. The individual taken in was a Maldivian male with police records for illicit narcotics and theft.

The police have reported that the individual was taken in on March 20, 2014, and has been remanded into custody at a secure location decided by the Home Ministry for a period of 10 days for investigative purposes.

Rasdhoo police station is investigating the matter further.

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EC announces preliminary results for all constituencies except Nilandhoo

The Elections Commission (EC) has announced preliminary results of Saturday’s parliamentary polls for all electoral constituencies with the exception of the Nilandhoo constituency in Faafu atoll.

Independent candidate Abdulla Haleel appears to have won the Nilandhoo seat with 645 votes while incumbent Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Abdul Muhsin Hameed was placed second with 644 votes.

According to local media, the EC delayed announcing the results for Nilandhoo in order to address a number of election-related complaints by the ruling coalition.

Preliminary results show that the Progressive Coalition secured a comfortable of 53 seats while the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) won 26 seats.

Coalition parties have also lodged complaints regarding the Noonu Velidhoo constituency where MDP candidate Abdulla Yameen won the seat with a 13-vote margin against a Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) candidate.

PPM and MDA leaders told the press at the EC offices yesterday that there were discrepancies between the results the parties received from polling stations and those announced by the EC.

The coalition parties also informed the media that complaints regarding alleged vote buying in the constituency were also submitted with video and audio evidence.

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PG files second charge against MP Hamid for urine sample refusal

The Prosecutor General’s Office has charged opposition MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor with refusing to provide urine sample to test for illegal substances.

According to Haveeru, the charge against Hamid is in connection to incident in July 2012, when he refused to provide a urine sample to the police after being taken into custody near a police barricaded area for gathering people and for disobeying the police.

He is currently facing the same charge in another case from November 2012, where he was arrested along with other senior opposition members in Hondaidhoo – an uninhabited island – on suspicion of possession and consumption of alcohol and cannabis.

Opposition MP Abdulla Jabir who also was arrested from Hondaidhoo was last month sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for refusing to provide a urine sample.

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Three people arrested from Thoddoo for drug abuse and prostitution

A 33 year old man and two women of 26 and 27 years have been arrested from Thoddoo in Alif Alif atoll for prostitution and drug abuse.

According to Maldives Police Service, the man and one of the women were caught engaged in sexual activity when the police entered the room with a court warrant.

Drugs and money suspected to have been earned from prostitution were found in the room.

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Suspected explosive washed up on Baarah beach

An unidentified object suspected to be an explosive has washed up on Haa Alif atoll Baarah southern beach, Vnews has reported.

According to Maldives Police Service the object was reported early morning today, and is currently under the authority of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF).

MNDF has confirmed that it is in fact an explosive devices and is currently being investigated by their officials who went to the island today.

Local media, referring to the pictures of the object, has said it looks like a naval mine.

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