Day: March 5, 2012

Police forward Gasim’s bribery case for prosecution

Police have sent a bribery case involving Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim to the Prosecutor General’s office, reports Haveeru.

Gasim was accused of bribing up to six Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs in 2010 in a bid to unseat then President Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed’s ministers resigned in protest against what they described as the “scorched earth” politics of the opposition-majority parliament.

The case had been returned to police by the PG on the grounds that it was “incomplete”, reports Haveeru, with the PG’s office requesting to meet with relevant witnesses.

“We have forwarded the case to the PG after completing those areas,” police told the newspaper.

Gasim and former President Gayoom’s half brother Abdulla Yameen had earlier been arrested by Nasheed’s government on charges of bribery and treason, however the Supreme Court had ruled against their detention.

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MDP vows to deadlock parliament until government sets deadline for early election

Former President Mohamed Nasheed on Monday morning said the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will deadlock parliament until the government sets a date for an early presidential election.

Nasheed addressed the people gathered at the party’s ongoing rally near the tsunami monument, and said that it was necessary that the government set a date that no later than the end of this year, in line with recommendations by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.

Nasheed said that setting a date after opening the parliament was not wise, and that the increase in political friction would not solve the issue.

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“Whenever I started something you guys obstructed me”: resort owner Shiyam argues with Gasim in leaked audio

Local newspaper Haveeru has published an audio recording on its website of a dispute between Independent MP Ahmed ‘Sun’ Shiyam and leader of the Jumhoory Party (JP) ‘Burma’ Gasim Ibrahim, both also resort owners.

In the audio clip, Shiyam alleges that whenever he started a business, Gasim and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, when they were in cabinet, obstructed him.

Shiyam also alleges that all the rights to do business were given to Gasim and Thasmeen at the time, and complains that he did not have similar rights.

He also reminds Gasim of the things former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had done to Gasim. However, Gasim replies that he only accepted the position of finance minister under Gayoom after the former president begged him to accept it.

Ahmed Shiyam: If Maumoon has done the things that he did to Gasim to me, today also I would have been behind him.

Gasim Ibrahim: Shiyam is going crazy. What has Maumoon done for me?

Shiyam: What hasn’t he done for you? He let you sign the Maldivian currency, he appointed you as the Finance Minister.  So what hasn’t he done for you?

Gasim: That’s what you think.

Shiyam: He made you the Speaker of the Special Majlis.

Gasim: Hey let me tell you, only those who know it knows it Shiyam. Although you were near [Gayoom], you do not know it right.

Third voice: He [Gasim] was jailed [by Gayoom].

Shiyam: Why was [he] jailed? Because he brought the 12th and 13th [Black Friday, a crackdown on a protest in 2004 by the National Security Service].

Gasim: Who was it that brought the 12th and 13th? Shiyam you are not ready to come out and talk about politics. [People laugh]

Gasim: I did everything for Maumoon after he begged me. He took me to the President’s Office for five days in July 2005. Ask that Mohamed Hussain how many times [Gayoom] called me to offer the [finance] minister’s position on July 26, independence day?

But I said ‘no, no I don’t want it’. [He offered me] the minister’s position. I said I did not want it, I did not want itat all. That was after I came out of jail. I said I did not want it, I wanted to work for reform.

After I returned Dr Hassan Saeed [then Attorney General], Dr Ahmed Shaheed [then Foreign Minister] and Justice Mohamed Jameel [then Justice Minister] were always around me. The President’s two [sons or daughters] came to my house and waited for four or five hours on different days to talk to me. When I couldn’t get rid of them I said I had two obligations for them: one was to continue the reform. I knew they wouldn’t spare me and even if I got a little bit away from it they would get rid of me.

I know it because I know who they are. So I said there are two conditions: one is to continue the reform agenda and that if they stopped it, I would leave them immediately. The other is to keep all the staff of the Finance Ministry without moving them elsewhere, as I know how their agenda will be. So [I told them] if it went to the worst case I am not a well-educated person so I will need educated people and I have a brain so I know how to do it.

I told them that the staffs should be there the way I want, and after they pledged to fulfill the both conditions I said all right, I will accept your offer. My friends at the that time told me not to do it, the country’s situation is like this and that but I did not listen to them. Two of my friends told me like that but I did not listen to them. Why did I go? I did not join them because I wanted to do many things, there would be nothing that I did when I was there or nothing that I gained.

Shiyam: I believe that when you people were in the cabinet, while Gasim and Thasmeen was in the cabinet, the rights given to citizens to do business was given all to them and whenever I started something you guys obstructed me.

Gasim: You have such a crooked mind Shiyam.

Shiyam: No this is just experience.

Gasim (furious): We don’t care about you man. You know we don’t care about you. Who are you? This man always comes up with something like this. You can’t do everything you want, there are laws and principles.

Shiyam: You did not do everything according to the laws and principles. You did not have your lands and things according to the laws and principles.

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President Waheed appoints ministers of foreign affairs, finance

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has appointed Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Abdulla Jihad as Minister of Finance and Treasury.

Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla was Gayoom’s Envoy to Bangladesh and is a member of Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), and was observed by Minivan News inside the parliament chamber on March 1 during the obstruction of President Waheed’s presidential address by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs.

Abdulla Jihad was previously a member of the Civil Service Commission. He resigned from the post today.

Jihad was Gayoom’s last finance minister prior to the election of Mohamed Nasheed in 2008, and was appointed to the CSC in 2010. In their transfer of executive functions to the Majlis, the DRP-PA amended the Civil Service Commission Act to remove the President’s prerogative of nominating members.

Jihad replaced Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim as Finance Minister on July 15, 2008, after Gasim quit to launch his presidential campaign and stating that he did not want to be blamed for economic collapse. Jihad was MMA governor prior to his appointment as finance minister.

The appointment ceremony was held on Monday afternoon at the President’s Office, where the two ministers took their oath of Office before the Supreme Court Judge Abdulla Areef.

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Protesters clash with police near defence minister’s house

Four people have been arrested following violent clashes with police near the house of Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim on Sunday night.

At around 12:45am a group of protesters left the ongoing Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) demonstration at the tsunami monument and headed towards Republic Square.

Police had blocked most routes to the republican square blocked with barricades and officers with riot shields by the time demonstrators arrived.

A group of 200 protesters began gathering near the Velaanaage office building and a further group of 150 near Traders Hotel, although there was no indication of violence. More protesters began to gather against police barricades near the coastguard building.

Around 1:15 am protesters reportedly headed towards Chaandhanee Magu and Orchid Magu Junction near the Reefside Shop. When Minivan News arrived police and MNDF had blocked the route to Republican square, but no protesters showed up.

Instead, a group of protesters had gathered near the defence minister’s residence in Maafannu ward near the Nalahiya Hotel.

An eyewitness told Minivan News that police clashed with a group of youths outside the hotel.

“The violence was very bad,” he said. “Only a few police came to the area. The crowd was throwing big stones [at the police]. The squad was split and had to retreat. ”

A police vehicle at the scene was damaged and had its windscreen smashed.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said a police vehicle was damaged and 4-5 officers sustained injuries, none of them serious.

“The situation is controllable. Some people in the crowd became violent,” he said, adding that four arrests were made.

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All party peace talks halted as facilitator leaves country on “personal matter”

The India-mediated cross-party peace talks initiated by President Mohamed Waheed Hassan have been halted after the facilitator of the talks, Ahmed Mujuthaba, had to leave the Maldives for a personal matter reports local Newspaper Haveeru.

According to Haveeru, the secretariat of the peace talks released a statement stating that Mujthaba had earlier informed President Waheed that he would leave the country on March 3 on a personal matter.

The statement quoted read: “As mentioned, since Mujthaba is going out of the country, the peace talks have been temporarily halted. While the talks have been halted, the parties have had five meetings and the last meeting was held on on 29th February. Currently the parties are discussing on deciding and tabling the agenda items of the forthcoming meetings.”

Four parties in support of the support of the government: DRP, PPM, Adhaalath Party and PA – have temporarily decided to walk out of the talks after MPs of the Democratic Party (MDP) obstructed the convening of the first parliament session of this year, preventing President Waheed from giving his presidential speech.

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