Category: News in Brief

Police investigating a case of sexual harassment against a student

Police have started investigating a case of sexual harassment perpetrated by a teacher of Naavaidhoo school against a student.

Haa Dhaal Atoll Naavaidhoo Island Council have informed local media that the case was lodged at the police on Tuesday night (August 26).

The victim is reported to be a 12-year-old girl studying in the sixth grade at Naavaidhoo school.

School Principal Ali Shareef Mohamed told local media that no action has yet been taken against the accused teacher by school authorities.

While police confirmed that they are currently investigating the case, they declined to provide further details based on the nature of the case.

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Police busts major drug network

Police have arrested three individuals on charges of selling narcotics.

The official police website describes the operation as a “major drug network bust”, stating that they were arrested while “in possession of a large number of illicit drugs and money”.

Police have said the three persons arrested on an operation carried forward on Monday are males of ages 31, 22, and 20-years-old. The nationalities of the arrested persons have not been revealed so far.

They were arrested from Parker House in Galolhu ward of capital Malé city.

Police recovered 53 packages containing what is suspected to be narcotics and equipment used for packaging them.

Police also searched the 20-year-old’s residence, finding an additional 58 packages and larger bags of narcotics as well as similar packaging equipment.

In an additional search of the 22-year-old’s residence, more than MVR150,000 (US$9,700) was recovered.

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Indian Naval Ship visits Maldives for joint exercise with MNDF

Indian naval ship ‘Trikand’ is in the Maldives to conduct a five day joint exercise with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) coast guard unit.

According to a statement released by the High Commission of India in the Maldives, the purpose of the exercise is to conduct a joint maritime security patrol of the exclusive economic zone of the Maldives.

Additionally, in a ceremony held on Tuesday, equipment which can be used to maintain the operational and training capacities of the MNDF were gifted to the Maldivian authorities by India.

The equipment was handed over to Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim by High Commissioner of India to the Maldives Rajeev Shahare.

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Special committee to hold MJA elections

The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) will select a special committee representative of the country’s media outlets to conduct its internal elections, following continuing disputes over the polls.

The association stated in a press release that the committee will be compiled of the association’s managerial committee and five representatives from media outlets. The five members will be selected through a nomination and voting process in a meeting of the managerial committee to be held today (August 26).

The MJA has attempted to hold the election of its board members on three previous occasions, with meetings being repeatedly disrupted due to concerns raised by various members.

Disruptions to the most recent meeting resulted in accusations of assault, while the accused member received a death threat just moments after the incident. Former President Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir tendered his resignation following Sunday’s meeting, citing an atmosphere “not conducive” to the holding of elections.

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Housing Minister informs parliament of work conducted within 2014

Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Mohamed Muizzu was summoned for questioning in the People’s Majlis today, informing MPs that the ministry has concluded work on building jetties in 13 islands and reclamation of land in three islands within the year.

He revealed that the government has plans to build jetties in a total of 22 islands within a period of two years and that all of it will be funded by the state budget.

Muizzu further revealed that construction of houses in Gemanafushi – required after the relocation of the people from Dhiyadhoo – has also been completed except for one building.

Further plans were revealed to reclaim land on the island of Dhaandhoo for the construction of a football stadium. The minister stated that the work will be contracted to MTCC as soon as the project is approved by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury.

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Maamigili airport downgraded to a domestic airport

The airport on the island of Maamigili in Alif Dhaal atoll operated by Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim’s Ibrahim’s Villa Air has been downgraded to a domestic airport, reports local media.

An official from the Civil Aviation Authority told online news outlet CNM that Villa Air had not made the necessary improvements for designation of international airport status.

Earlier this month, the government terminated an agreement with Villa Air to manage and develop the Kaadehdhoo regional airport while the fisheries ministry decided not to renew the lease of an uninhabited island given for agricultural purposes to Gasim’s Villa company.

President Abdulla Yameen had denied that the decisions were intended to “impede” the JP leader’s businesses following severe criticism of the government’s flagship special economic zone legislation.

The agreement with Villa Air to operate the airport for a period of 50 years was signed during the final days of former President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s administration.

Former Transport Minister Dr Ahmed Shamheed – filling a JP slot in cabinet at the time – was sacked in November 2012 after extending the lease of the privately-owned airport in Maamigili for 99 years.

In March 2013, Dr Shamheed told Minivan News that President Waheed wanted “credit” for extending the Maamigili airport lease.

Despite the dismissal, the decision was not reversed and Shamheed was replaced by JP Deputy Leader Ameen Ibrahim, who signed the Kaadehdhoo agreement on behalf of the government on November 6.

Following his third-place finish with 23.37 percent of the vote in the November 2013 presidential election, Gasim initially announced that the JP would remain neutral.

However, the JP’s council decided to endorse Abdulla Yameen against Maldivian Democratic Party candidate, former President Mohamed Nasheed, three days before the second round of the polls on November 16.

After the contesting the parliamentary polls in March jointly through the Progressive Coalition, the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives severed its coalition agreement with the JP after Gasim stood for post of Majlis speaker despite the PPM fielding its senior MP Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed.

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UNESCO experts to assess coral stone mosques for World Heritage list

A team of experts from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has arrived in the Maldives to assess the nomination of coral stone mosques to the World Heritage sites list.

According to the Ministry of Education, six coral stone mosques were included in a tentative list last year.

“Since then Maldives has started working on preparing the dossier up to their criteria’s to inscribe the stone mosques of Maldives in the final list of World Heritage list,” the ministry explained.

“First draft of the nomination dossier needs to be sent to UNESCO by September of this year to be inscribed on the year 2016. This team of Experts will be guiding through the documents that are being prepared and they will be verifying whether the dossiers are up to the criteria of UNESCO.”

Prior to departing on August 29, the team of experts are due to visit the six coral mosques, two of which are in the capital, with the rest located in Alif Dhaal Fenfushi, Raa Meedhoo, Haa Alif Ihavandhoo and Laamu Isdhoo.

In April, the Department of Heritage announced an exhibition to raise public awareness about the six coral mosques.

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Drug Court Judge Mohamed Easa Fulhu elected to JSC

Drug Court Judge Mohamed Easa Fulhu has been elected to represent the lower courts on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

In an election that took place yesterday with four judges standing for the seat, Easa came first with 84 votes. His closest contender, Drug Court Judge Zubair Mohamed, received 63 votes.

The third and fourth-placed judges, Civil Court Judge Ali Naseer and Chief Magistrate of Faafu Magoodhoo Magistrate Court Abdul Sattar Sulaiman, received 12 and seven votes.

Earlier this month, the Attorney General’s Office postponed an election for a lawyer to represent the legal community on the JSC following a Supreme Court order.

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Environment minister meets World Bank mission

Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim met officials of a visiting World Bank mission yesterday to discuss implementation of climate change projects.

According to the ministry, discussions focused on preparation of the Climate Resilience and Environment Sustainability (CRES) Project under the second phase of the Maldives Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF) as well as the fifth implementation support mission for the Wetlands Conservation and Corel Reef Monitoring for Adaptation to Climate Change (WCCM) project under the first phase of the Maldives CCTF.

The World Bank mission also held meetings with officials from the finance ministry, the CCTF Project Management Unit, the fisheries and agriculture ministry, the Marine Research Centre, the Environment Protection Agency, the Local Government Authority and WCCM project consultants.

The activities of the mission included undertaking project preparation on CRES as well as agreeing on the next steps, timelines, and responsibilities for the preparation process with the government of Maldives.

“The Maldives Climate Change Trust Fund is a multi-donor collaboration between the government of Maldives, the European Union, Australian Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and other multinational agencies which was launched in 2012,” explained the ministry.

Meanwhile, appearing for minister’s question time at parliament yesterday, Thoriq revealed that a special project was being planned to tackle water shortages during the dry northeastern monsoon.

The minister said a permanent solution could not be found through the project until 2016.

He noted that the government had to supply water to 82 islands facing shortages last year at a cost of MVR3.9 million (US$252,918). Some 75 islands have faced water shortages so far this year, he added.

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