Year: 2011

Court warrant issued for arrest of MDP MP Adil on child molestation charges

The Criminal Court has today issued a court warrant for the arrest of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Hassan Adil.

A police spokesperson confirmed that court warrant was issued and for charges of child molestation, but declined to provide further information.

When asked about Adil’s future in the party should he be found guilty, MDP Chairperson Mariya Ahmed Didi told Minivan News that if Adil was found guilty “then of course the party should [take action]. The party does not condone such acts. But we should only speculate after the court has come to a verdict.”

She referred Minivan News to Parliamentary Group Leader ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, however his phone was switched off at time of press. MDP Parliamentary group’s former spokesperson MP Ahmed Shifaz said that he had heard about the incident but declined to comment on the matter.

Last month local newspaper Haveeru published an article reporting that police and the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) were conducting a joint investigation regarding child molestation allegations against a MP, which was later removed from the newspaper’s website.

HRCM President Maryam Azra told Minivan News at the time that she did not know whether the commission was investigating the case.

”We are trying to find out who it was that has told Haveeru so,” she said at the time.

Azra did not respond to Minivan News today at time of press.

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan said he had no information on the issue.

Over the past year there has been an increase in reports of child abuse, including by high-profile individuals in the Maldives. Prominent Quran reciter Hussein Thaufeeq, who appears every day on TV and teaches Quran to children, was recently arrested on numerous child molestation charges.

Adil, a former member of the opposition-aligned Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), did not appear in parliament today.

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Four Maldivians questioned for allegedly committing bestiality with a goat

Police have questioned four men from the island of Makunudhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll following allegations the men had sex with a goat.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed police had questioned the men, but said no arrests had been made.

President of Makunudhoo Island Council Mohamed Rilwan said that all four of the men were aged between 19 and 21.

Two of the men were from Makunudhoo while the other two were originally from the neighboring island of Neykurendhu, he said.

‘’Lately the owner of the goat had been suspicious that something was wrong because he was finding things such as condoms on his farm where he keeps 50 goats,’’ said Rilwan.

‘’Early one morning when he went to the farm he saw two goats outside the fence and thought it was odd because there was no way a goat could have climbed over the fence.”

Rilwan said the owner then counted the goats and realised one goat was missing, and started searching for it.

‘’He found the goat near the beach, it was laid down on a cardboard paper. He observed that it could not walk properly and that its sexual organs were injured,’’ he said. ‘’He then reported the matter to the concerned authorities.’’

Rilwan said  more than five goats on the farm had been subjected to similar assaults.

‘’The owner has noted that he has frequently seen this group of four men near the farm. They have been selecting healthy muscular goats to do this,’’ he said.

Local newspaper Haveeru reported that the goat found on the beach had now died.

Haveeru also reported that the deceased animal was a billy-goat, however Rilwan told Minivan News that it was a nanny goat.

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Mahlouf resubmits resolution cutting Rf20K committee allowance, after MDP forces Mariya to withdraw it

MDP MP and Party Chairperson Maryia Ahmed Didi today withdrew a resolution to cut the controversial Rf20,000 (US$1550) committee allowance from the MP Privileges Bill.

Mariya told Minivan News today that she withdrew the resolution following a vote by the MDP Parliamentary Group.

“I was not at that meeting,” she said, “but I bowed to the party’s rules and took it out. However I told parliament that I did not want the Rf20,000 committee allowance myself and urged group members not to take the committee allowance. That got a good reaction from quite a few MPs.”

Mariya acknowledged that there was strong public sentiment against MPs receiving the committee allowance, including among the party’s own member base, which on top of their Rf 62,500 (US$4860) salaries would place Maldivian MP income on par with that of Sweden.

“The Rf 20,000 committee allowance was in the small print of a report from the monetary committee on the salary of all institutions,” Mariya noted.

Leader of MDP Parliamentary Group ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik was not responding to calls at time of press.

Following Mariya’s withdrawal of the resolution opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Mahlouf resubmitted it.

“I was the first one to raise it before Mariya, but the Speaker [DRP MP] Abdulla Shahid went with Mariya’s changes, perhaps because of the factional fight [the opposition] is having. When Mariya withdrew it today I resubmitted it.”

Mahlouf’s submission means the resolution will go to committee stage which will debate the matter before submitting it to the floor for a vote.

Increasing MP salaries by Rf 20,000 would be a huge blow to parliament’s credibility, Mahlouf said, “as the public do not believe we are working to their expectations.”

He said he believed Mariya had been pressured by the MDP Parliamentary Group to withdraw the resolution.

“I decided this by myself. Nobody pressures me any more because I don’t follow DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen in parliament,” said Mahlouf, who has sided with the party’s dismissed Deputy Leader Umar Naseer and its Honorary Leader, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, against Thasmeen’s faction.

The core issue regarding the salary increase, he explained, was the number of people petitioning MPs for money and assistance. This, he said, was the reason he had initially voted in favour in favour of the increase.

It was, he said, “very normal” for him to give away US$2000 (Rf 25,700) of his salary every month, “not only to constituents, but people from other parts of the country. People who are very poor come forward and ask me to please help them, and get very mad at me if I don’t.”

“At first I voted in favour [of the increase] because so many people were coming to me for help. This was something that was done for a long time back, and people now expect aid from parliamentarians. I was not a rich person before I was elected and I can’t give all my salary away, so that was the main reason I voted [in favour]. But maybe the next time somebody asks I can [justify] myself. When the general public are asking us not to do this, we should stop doing it.”

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CSC says Shakir retirement not linked to Facebook sex photo scandal

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has said that its decision to retire a former Director General of Male’ Municipality on his request was not linked to his suspension over a police investigation into his alleged appearance in the Facebook blackmail images.

CSC Director General Abdulla Saeed said that despite the suspension of Adam Shakir in relation to his alleged inclusion in graphic images obtained by a suspected online blackmail ring, the decision had been taken to grant his retirement and all related benefits as he had not been found guilty.

“Shakir requested to the commission (CSC) that he retire at his current age of 58 and according to the Maldivian Civil Service Act he was eligible to do so,” he said. “When the CSC got the request we decided to retire him.”

The Director General position at Male’ Municipality has since been changed to the title of secretariat for Male’ City Council.

Pointing to the Civil Service Act that outlines regulation for public sector employees, Saeed said that it was possible to retire staff once they reached 55 years of age. He added that Shakir’s suspension in relation to an ongoing police investigation had not impacted on this decision to grant retirement or his right to receive benefits as a result.

A number of high profile government and public figures are reportedly suspected of being depicted in the images already thought to be circulating the internet, although the CSC claimed it would not be acting on allegations alone.

“There is no relation between the suspension and the retirement decision. Shakir was suspended on information we had received but this has not gone to court yet and does not mean that he is guilty [of the allegations],” the CSC director general added. “Normally after a police investigation, it is for the court to decide whether a suspect is guilty.”

Newspaper Haveeru yesterday claimed that retirement had been granted on the grounds of the suspended civil servant’s health.

Although the investigation over the legitimacy of the alleged indecent images was continuing, Saeed said that Shakir was no longer a civil servant following his retirement and that there would not be a review of the decision to grant retirement benefits following the outcome of any potential trial in the future.

Blackmail investigation

The investigation into the alleged Facebook blackmail scandal has not yet led to any arrests regarding those alleged to have obtained or appeared in the images, though police have stressed that they are continuing to look into the case.

Police Sub Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News today that officers were unable to confirm the identity of any individuals under investigation on suspicion of involvement or inclusion in the videos and images due to the “complex nature” of the potential crimes. However, Shiyam confirmed that the CSC has sent information to the police that is was currently looking into as part of its investigations.

On Saturday, the Maldives Police Service confirmed that it was now holding four individuals in custody over their suspected involvement in the alleged plot to blackmail high profile figures with graphic images obtained via social network site Facebook after releasing another three suspects as part of its investigation.

The case first came to light in February, when police revealed that 14 individuals including a minor had been arrested on suspicion of obtaining hundreds of nude pictures and videos that were stored on computers and external hard drives. It was alleged that these images had been obtained through fake Facebook profiles that used the identical image of a young woman.

Police said at the time that two profiles with the names of ‘Lyshiaa Limanom’ and ‘Angelic Sharrown’ respectively were used by the suspects to gather files of individuals pictured in some cases performing explicit acts in the presence of minors. Investigators stated that they would also be investigating people pictured in the files to verify if any crimes had actually been committed within the images themselves.

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Over 1,600 unwanted jobs in Male’: HR Ministry

With over 1,600 job opportunities in the Male’ region, only 300 people seeking employment have registered at the Human Resource Ministry’s career guidance center, reports Haveeru.

According to Deputy Minister Hussein Ismail, a survey conducted last month showed that there were 1,639 vacancies in private businesses and offices in Male’ alone. Some 24,094 employers in Male’ were surveyed.

However, only 300 people have applied at the ministry’s career guidance centre looking for jobs.

Of the total 22,642 employees in private enterprises in the Greater Male’ region, 10,210 are expatriates. Some 23,849 locals are meanwhile employed in the civil service.

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Convict escapes from Himmafushi jail

An inmate sentenced 25 years for group robbery escaped from the low security ‘Asseyri’ jail at Kaafu Himmafushi last Saturday night.

Ibrahim Rifau, 28, was noted as missing by prison guards during the nightly head count.

Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS) Director General Mohamed Rasheed explained that inmates who show good behaviour and discipline are transferred to the minimum security prison in Himmafushi.

DPRS officers have been searching the island for the fugitive, Rasheed said.

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DhiTV sues over terrestrial broadcasting license

Broadcasting Maldives Pvt Ltd, which operates DhiTV, has sued the Telecommunications Authority of the Maldives (TAM) for reportedly refusing to grant the private channel a terrestrial broadcasting license.

At yesterday’s Civil Court hearing on the case, State Attorney Ahmed Usham argued that a decision on DhiTV’s license should be made by the recently-formed broadcasting commission, once its members are sworn in to office.

Usham claimed that the government has stopped enforcing existing broadcasting regulations as parliament was in the process of formulating new broadcasting laws.

However the plaintiff’s lawyer Azima Shukoor insisted that the government did not have the authority to disregard the broadcasting regulations.

At the previous hearing, Usham revealed that under the agreement renewed on December 2, 2010, DhiTV was granted a license to broadcast via satellite while the Broadcasting Company had not participated in the bidding for terrestrial licenses in 2007 when a company called Atoll Investment was granted the license.

Former Attorney General Azima argued at yesterday’s hearing that as a result of the government’s decision to renew DhiTV’s agreement with only the license to broadcast via satellite and not cable as before, the media company’s service was not widely available.

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Parliament committees to meet every week day

The parliament has decided to hold committee meetings on all weekdays, including Sunday and Thursday when parliament sittings do not take place.

Parliament Secretary General Ahmed Mohamed told newspaper Haveeru that the decision was made by Speaker Abdulla Shahid after discussions with parliamentary group leaders in a bid to expedite the legislative process.

At present there are 43 bills being reviewed by parliamentary committees, including the draft penal code submitted in October 2009. Other belated pieces of legislation include the Drugs Bill, Evidence Bill and the Jails and Parole Bill.

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Maldives dismisses Gaddafi’s government as illegitimate, backs rebels

The President’s Office has issued a statement refuting the legitimacy of the Libyan government, and recognising the rebels as the country’s official representatives.

“The Maldives has decided to recognise the Libyan National Transition Council (LNTC) as the sole legitimate representative body of the Libyan people,” the President’s Office said.

The decision followed Qatar’s decision on March 28 to recognise the LNTC, a body given legitimacy on March 10 by France following a meeting with rebel leaders in Paris.

“The Maldives will always support people who stand up against human rights violations,” said President Nasheed. “The Libyan National Transition Council has become the sole legitimate representative of Libya and its people.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem said that Muammar Gaddafi’s government had lost legitimacy through “gross and systemic human rights violations, which appear to amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

The rebel advances made in the wake of NATO airstrikes after Gaddafi’s tank columns came within miles of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi have stalled. Both sides have entered a push-pull statemate over key towns such as Brega

Al Jazeera journalist Hoda Abdel-Hamid, present in Ajdabiya, reported that the rebels were only advancing when Gaddafi’s forces retreated and lacked the discipline to hold ground when pushed back, or coordinate with NATO.

In once instance of friendly-fire, rebels confessed that an air-strike that killed 13 fighters near Brega on Sunday was triggered during a celebratory firing of an anti-aircraft gun while NATO aircraft were operating in the area.

“If you compare where we are today to where we were a few weeks ago, then we are in the exact same position,” Abdel-Hamid said.

Western powers are seeking a diplomatic end to the civil war by persuading Gaddafi to give up his rule of the country, while US President Barack Obama signed an order authorising the use of covert action in Libya, obstentiously providing training and possibly weapons to the rebel fighters.

However Western – and Maldivian – support of the LNTC is likely to be complicated by the complex tribal power struggles in the country once the rebels reach Tripoli.

Veteran war correspondent Robert Fisk, writing for the UK’s Independent newspaper, previously observed that the West has largely ignored that the powerful tribal group leading the rebellion in Libya, the Senoussi, were overthrown in 1969 when Gaddafi deposed their King Idris, and the red, black and green ‘rebel’ flag – the old flag of pre-revolutionary Libya – is in fact the Idris flag, a Senoussi flag.

“Now let’s suppose [the rebels] get to Tripoli. Are they going to be welcomed there? Yes, there were protests in the capital, but many of those brave demonstrators themselves originally came from Benghazi. What will Gaddafi’s supporters do? ‘Melt away’? Suddenly find that they hated Gaddafi after all and join the revolution? Or continue the civil war?”

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