Category: News in Brief

Pakistani high commissioner calls on president

The Pakistani High Commissioner, Mohamed Saeed Khan, this morning paid a call on President Abdulla Yameen.

Congratulating President Yameen on his November election victory, the Pakistani High Commissioner went on to discuss the expansion of bilateral ties – in particular, health, security, education, and sports.

The President’s Office has reported that Yameen conveyed his good wishes to Pakistani President Nawaz Sharif, whom he noted as a long-standing ally of the Maldives. He also expressed confidence that Maldivian-Pakistani relations would flourish during his tenure.

The meeting was also reportedly attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon, Minister at the President’s Office Mohamed Hussain Shareef, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hassan Shifau.

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Former President Waheed announces “official return to education field”

Former President Dr Mohamed Waheed has informed local media that he has taken up a part-time job as a Visiting Distinguished Fellow Lecturer at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

Waheed assumed office in the controversial transfer of power of February 7, 2012 and presided the Maldives for a period of 19 months.

He stated that he will be teaching in the University for about one week every month, and that he has decided to stay in the post for a duration of one year at a minimum. Waheed added that this is his “official return to the field of education after [his] stint in politics”. He detailed that he would be mainly residing in the Maldives and Malaysia during his year teaching in Singapore.

In addition to teaching modules in public policy and executive education, Waheed will also be engaging in various research programs in the university.

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President Yameen to make official visit to Sri Lanka in late January

President’s Office has announced on Sunday that President Abdulla Yameen will be making an official state visit to Sri Lanka from January 21 to 23 with First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim on invitation of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

According to the statement, the president will focus on holding deliberation with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the further strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

In addition to talks between the two countries, Yameen will also meet with Maldivians living in Sri Lanka during the trip.

A business forum will also be organised in alignment with Yameen’s visit by the Sri Lankan-Maldivian Business Council to discuss ways to enhance business and investment ties between the two countries.

In addition to cabinet members and state officials Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon, Ministers at the President’s Office Mohamed Hussain Shareef and Abdulla Ameen, Foreign Secretary Ali Naseer Mohamed, and Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed will travel.

Members of the government coalition and ruling party Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) will also be in the high level delegation which is to join Yameen on the state visit. This will  include coalition partner Jumhooree Party leader and Chairman of Villa Enterprises Gasim Ibrahim, coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance leader and Chairman of Sun Travels Ahmed Siyam, Vice President of PPM MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla, PPM Parliamentary Group (PG) Deputy Leader MP Moosa Zameer and Chief Whip of PPM PG MP Ali Arif.

According to Indian media, the invitation letter to visit Sri Lanka was delivered to Yameen during a courtesy call by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner Dickson Sarathchandra in December.

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Police arrests man accused of sexual harassment of a minor

Police have announced that its branch in the island of Kulhudhuhfushi in Haa Dhaalu atoll has today arrested a 19 year old man accused of “forcefully committing illicit sexual acts” with a 15 year old girl.

Police stated that the man was arrested under a court warrant at 0940hrs this morning. Due to the status of the investigation, police have not yet revealed additional information regarding the case.

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Quran teachers still be to found for 12 schools

The Education Ministry has stated that while the administrative year began and schools opened on January 14, Quran teachers still remain unavailable for 12 schools.

Education Ministry Human Resource Director General Mohamed Saeed stated that while the state had sought to employ 69 Quran teachers, 56 persons had applied and all are now employed in different schools.

He stated that the ministry has now announced for 12 more teachers, and that the announcement will expire within the week. He explained that although separate Quran teachers have not yet been found for these 12 schools, Quran is still, however, taught as a subject in these schools too.

“While we are still seeking 12 teachers for these schools, we have made arrangement for Quran lessons to already be taught in these schools too. We are doing this by having either leading teachers or the Islamic Studies teachers provide Quran lessons for the meantime,” he is quoted as saying to local media.

Establishing Quran as an obligatory subject in all grades and teaching them in all schools is among the 100 day plans of the Education Ministry.

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High Court orders Hithadhoo Magistrate Court to review sentence

The High Court has ordered the Hithadhoo Magistrate Court to review a sentence of a one year jail sentence it delivered on Ubaidhullah Hassan for his refusal to provide a urine sample.

The order was released after Hassan appealed the case in the High Court.

The High Court stated that the reasoning behind its issuance of the review order was that Hassan was not allowed to have legal representation in court. It stated that,although Hassan had initially declined from getting legal representation, he had later gotten a lawyer, even after which he was not given the opportunity to present legal representation in court hearings.

Hassan has also appealed that his arrest was arbitrary and unlawful, and that therefore providing samples requested for in regard to an unlawful arrest would itself be void, according to local media reports.

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Corruption case against former director of Southern Health Services Corporation

The Anti Corruption Commission has sent for prosecution a corruption case against a former Director of Southern Health Services Corporation (SHSC) Ibrahim Sabry.

The ACC stated that the case against Sabry is for the abuse of power to provide an undue advantage or benefits to a particular group.

The commission stated that it had found Sabry to be guilty of corruption in an investigation they conducted after receiving complaints that the SHSC had employed a group to build eight rooms in the Hithadhoo Regional Hospital without providing any information about the matter.

It detailed that the bid had been received a day after the deadline of August 28, 2011. After the bidders had failed to submit the proposal by the deadline, Sabry had unilaterally extended the deadline by a day. According to the ACC, Sabry admitted to it while providing a statement for their investigation.

The ACC further states that while two of the three parties who had submitted proposals had failed to meet the requirements, the SHSC had proceeded to accept and evaluate them. They stated that Sabry had also admitted to having advised the evaluation committee to score them as they saw fit even though the proposals did not meet with the defined requirements.

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Supreme Court disqualifies island council candidate

The Supreme Court on Friday night disqualified a candidate for the island council of Thaa Kandoodhoo over a drug conviction in 2002.

The apex court ruled that Hassan Areef of Maafolheyge in Kandoodhoo did not meet the criteria for contesting elections as he had been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by the Criminal Court.

Areef was running for the island council on a Maldivian Democratic Party ticket when a complaint was filed at the Elections Commission complaints bureau.

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President Yameen withdraws nominee for MMA governor

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has withdrawn his nominee for the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) governor.

According to local media, President Yameen withdraw the nomination of Ibthishama Ahmed Saeed, an associate director at the Bank of Maldives Plc Ltd (BML), but has yet to submit a new name to parliament.

Former Governor Dr Fazeel Najeeb stepped down from the post on January 1 after five years at the central bank.

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