Category: News in Brief

New Bank of Maldives CEO appointed as managing director

The Bank of Maldives has announced the appointment of current CEO Andrew Healy as its new Managing Director.

Healy joined the bank as CEO last month, being appointed by the government to the board of directors on February 6. The decision was made during Monday’s board meeting.

A BML press release today detailed Healy’s 18 years of experience in the retail and commercial banking sectors with both the National Bank of Ireland and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Healy replaces British national Peter Horton, who resigned from the post last August after two years in charge.

BML recently announced net profits of MVR667 million in 2013, showing a growth of 78% compared to 2012. The bank paid its shareholders the first dividend since 2008 in November of last year.

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EC fines MDA for failing to hold a national congress

The Elections Commission has fined the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) MVR30,000 for failing to hold the party’s national congress within the legally prescribed period.

The Political Parties Act states that such a congress should be held within nine months of registration. The MDA – lead by businessman and parliament member Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam – was registered on 20 December, 2012. The fine has to be paid within fifteen days.

The MDA is a member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) governing coalition. It currently has two members in the parliament and will be running for seven seats in the upcoming parliamentary election.

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Twelve deaths from road traffic accidents in 2013

In the year 2013 twelve people were killed in road traffic accidents, the Ministry of Transport and Communication has revealed.

Speaking to media, Minister Ameen Ibrahim said that action was taken against 25,000 people for various traffic violations. He said that this is an indication that the number of people breaking traffic rules are increasing.

The minister went on to announce that the ministry would begin a one-year awareness campaign tomorrow.

The campaign will focus on identifying and implementing immediate steps that can be taken to improve road safety.

According to Maldives Police Service 189 cases of traffic accidents were reported in January 2014.

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Man fined for brewing alcohol

The Criminal Court has handed an MVR1000 (US$64.9) to a Fuvahmulah Island man for brewing alcohol.

The Maldives Police Services arrested Mohamed Saeed on October 1, 2011 on a tip off while he was brewing alcohol in his house with another individual. The police discovered utensils used for alcohol brewing and a 500 ml bottle containing alcohol.

Saeed has been ordered to pay the fine within 7 days – by February 16.

According to the police, Saeed has a record of drug abuse, theft, mugging, and sexual harassment.

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PPM concludes primaries, announces seven more candidates

The Progressive Party of Maldives had concluded its primaries for the upcoming Majlis elections, scheduled for March 22.

After having been allocated 49 seats after negotiations with its coalition allies, the party assigned places on the ticket to 13 party members without a vote. A further five were subsequently uncontested for their places on the party roster.

Following primaries for a further 25 seats last Saturday (February 8), the party held six additional races on Sunday, the results for which have been announced today.

Incumbents MPs Ahmed Rasheed and Yoosuf Abdul Ghafoor took the Isdhoo and Gan constituencies, respectively. Ali Shah will contest for the North Fuvahmulah constituency, Azhan Fahmy for the Maavashu seat, Mohamed Ameeth for the Maduvvari constituency, and Ibrahim Didi for the Feydhoo constituency.

After a disagreement with coalition partner, the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), over the Gahdhoo seat, the PPM eventually ran a primary for the constituency, with Ahmed Rasheed returning as the winner.

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Mauroof Zakir to contest Kendhoo constituency as an independent

General Secretary of Tourism Employees Association of the Maldives (TEAM) Mauroof Zakir has said he will contest the Baa Atoll Kendhoo constituency as an independent candidate.

“I have support from the constituency and I believe I can win this seat,” Zakir told local media.

Zakir lost the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) primary for the constituency to former Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader and incumbent MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.

However, Zakir has said he does not accept the results of the primary claiming MDP members in Baa Atoll Kendhoo island were not given an opportunity to vote.

The MDP said Kendhoo members had refused to allow a re-vote to proceed after an initial vote was invalidated due to irregularities.

His decision follows that of recently stabbed MDP MP Alhan Fahmy, who announced his decision to run as an independent after losing what he alleged to have been an unfair poll in Feydhoo constituency.

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Police rescue Bangladeshi held hostage in Malé

The Maldives Police Service have rescued a Bangladeshi man held hostage in a migrant workers accommodation block in Malé.

According to police, the man was held for three days without food, and was taken to Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital for treatment immediately after his rescue yesterday at around 5:45pm.

Police have arrested two Bangladeshi suspects and the case is currently being investigated by the police Serious and Organized Crime Department. A one-and-half inch knife under a pillow and a piece of wood was taken from the scene.

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Malé City Council to introduce 200 dustbins

Malé City Council is to install 200 dustbins in the capital city under new regulations on waste management.

The bins are to be placed in parks, near government offices, and on main streets. The first 50 dustbins – donated from Taiwan – will be installed tomorrow in 18 districts including Republic Square, the Social Center, Friday Mosque, Nalahiya Hotel, and Fishermen’s Park

“We will place red and green dustbins. Place recyclable materials in the red bins and all other rubbish in the green bins,” deputy mayor Ibrahim Shujau said.

“We hope the public uses these dustbins appropriately. Household waste including kitchen waste should not be dumped into these,” he added.

Business Image Group (BIG) was awarded a contract to oversee the dustbins in exchange for concessions to install billboards in certain districts in Malé.

The waste management regulation came into force on February 5 and imposes an MVR100 (US$6.5) for littering and a fine between MVR10,000 (US$ 648.5) – MVR100,000 (US$6,485) if any authority in charge of public spaces fails to place public dustbins.

The regulations also mandate boat owners to place dustbins on sea vessels and imposes a fine between MVR100 million (US$6.5 million) and MVR500 million (US$32.4 million) on boats that dump waste into the ocean

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