Day: June 11, 2012

MNDF to take action against officers found to have “violated laws” on Feb 7: Defence Minister

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers who are found to have violated the laws and regulation during the events leading to the controversial transfer of powers on February 7, will face disciplinary action, Defence Minister Ahmed Nazim has said.

Hours before former President Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation on February 7, uniformed police and 60-70 officers from the MNDF were seen by reporters and recorded siding with opposition protesters, and attacking the MNDF headquarters.

Video footage also shows rogue police, military officers and civilians, armed with stones and wooden sticks storming the state broadcaster’s compound prior to Nasheed’s resignation, using a firearm or some kind of explosive to break down the gates – later claimed to be a riot gun, in the former Commission of National Inquiry (CNI’s) preemptive report.

Nasheed’s party accuses police and MNDF officers of taking bribes from the then- opposition to oust Nasheed from power in a premeditated coup d’état, and have continued to vociferously challenge the legitimacy of the new coalition government of Dr Mohamed Waheed.

Both police and MNDF have meanwhile dismissed the allegations and refrained from commenting on their role in the alleged coup until the CNI completes its investigation into the February 7 events.

Disciplinary action

However, at a press conference on Sunday morning, Defense Minister confirmed an “internal inquiry” was conducted within MNDF to find information on February 7 events.

“I believed it is of great importance to find information about why the sequence of events which occurred inside MNDF took place – Because then only we can correct anything that has to be corrected based on the findings.” Nazim observed.

He noted final report complied following the internal inquiry is with him and it will not be made public as it is an internal matter and it may “influence” the CNI’s ongoing investigation.

When Minivan News asked whether any actions are to be taken against MNDF officers who were found to have violated the law on February 7 during the inquiry, Nazim responded: “Necessary disciplinary measures will be taken by us for any action committed by MNDF personnel, found to have violated the laws and regulations of the  MNDF.”

However, so far, no such measures have been taken.

“We have an internal disciplinary committee. The committee will discuss and provide me with the steps that can be taken. Further action will proceed based on the recommendations,” said Nazim, who himself is facing accusations of being at the centre of organising the alleged coup.

Defense Minister Nazim’s involvement

Nazim today acknowledged that he is a “target” of allegations and repeated that he did not wish to further comment on the subject until the CNI concludes investigation.

However he continued to lambast the MDP’s report, calling it “an imaginary story”.

Recalling his victory in the civil suit filed against MDP government after he was sacked from the military, Nazim further encouraged officers – whose names and pictures have been published in the report – to file defamation suits against the MDP.

In a recently published MDP report on the February 7 events, ex-colonel Mohamed Nazim and ex-deputy commissioner Abdulla Riyaz (now Commissioner of police) have been accused of recruiting police and army officers to join the opposition’s protest.

Meanwhile, the  timeline released by the government’s three-member Inquiry Commission also states that between 8:00am to 9:00am “some of the military who had come out of the building [MNDF head quarters] joined with the police, who were calling for the president’s resignation outside the headquarters at the time.”

The report further says that it was Nazim and Riyaz who entered MNDF headquarters as the violence escalated outside, and proposed Nasheed “should resign without any condition”.

“We told them these are non-negotiable conditions. These are not things up for further discussion. We assure the beloved Maldivians, military and police who are with us that, God willing, these things will happen this way by the deadline we have set for 1:30 today.” Nazim publicly announced on the morning of February 7, after coming out of the headquaters.

Asked on what grounds and on whose command he made a non-negotiable condition for Nasheed’s resignation, he commented: “The message I gave represented the sentiments of people outside. I gave their message on what they wanted.”

As some military officers were also seen outside with police and opposition protestors, Minivan News asked whether the message to unconditionally resign represented what that military officers wanted.

Nazim however replied, “We will know that after the investigation. We cannot blame any specific person.”

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Dr Didi sole candidate for JP presidency

The Jumhoree Party (JP) have announced that Dr Ibrahim Didi is the only candidate running for its newly-created position of party President, reports Haveeru.

Dr Didi joined the party earlier this month following his removal as President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) at the end of April.

Didi, alongside Alhan Fahmy, the MDP’s Vice President, was removed from his position after 95 percent of the party’s National Council voted in support of no-confidence motions against the pair.

Shortly before the pair switched parties it had been rumoured that Didi and Fahmy would insist on retaining their previous titles, requiring an amendment to the JP’s regulations.

The party has also been taking applications for the posts of Vice President, Secretary General, and Policy Secretary, reported Haveeru, although it did not list Alham Fahmy amongst the applicants for the Vice Presidency.

Hassan Shah, another recent arrival from the MDP, where he served as Secretary General, was said to have applied for the same position with the JP.

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DRP deputy leader interprets CNI timeline as evidence of “evil and dangerous plan”

Deputy Leader of the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) Ibrahim Shareef yesterday accused former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed of planning to murder members of the December 23 coalition during the unrest that led to Nasheed’s resignation in February.

“President Nasheed’s evil and dangerous plan has now been revealed to the people,” Shareef has been reported as saying.

MDP International Spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor called the claims “outrageous” and “irresponsible politics”.

Speaking at a coalition press conference at the Nalahiya hotel, Shareef said it was the presence of the police during the night of February 6 that thwarted the aims of those hired by Nasheed to kill members of the coalition.

The group, named after the December 23 protests, purportedly held to defend Islam against the policies of the Nasheed government, consists of former opposition parties and religious NGOs.

Shareef’s accusations appear to refer to the period during the night of February 6 when December 23 coalition and MDP supporters faced off at the artificial beach area with only a police line to separate them.

Shareef was unavailable for comment at the time of press.

A timeline chronicling the events that led to Nasheed’s eventual resignation on February 7 was released by the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) last week. The timeline was translated by Azra Naseem.

The CNI has recently been reformed following widespread concern over its impartiality and independence.

President Waheed announced that the reforms, which include the introduction of a Singaporean judge to act as co-chair and the inclusion of a Nasheed nominee, Ahmed ‘Gahaa’ Saeed, would be completed by June 15.

Despite the impending resumption of the CNI’s work, the commission’s original members decided to release a report based on their investigations so far.

This report claims that both the Home Minister at the time, Hassan Afeef, and then Nasheed himself ordered the Police Commissioner to remove the police from the area (sections 29 and 32 of the report).

The timeline went on to say that officers on the ground told both Afeef, who then told Nasheed that the “atmosphere was not good” (section 30).

Nasheed is then said to have repeated his request to remove police from the artificial beach area on the night of February 6 (points 34 and 40). This request was refused by officers in the area who insisted that they be replaced by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) (point 38).

The replacement MNDF forces were then asked to step down, according to the report, before violence erupted between the opposing protesters (points46 and 48).

Shareef suggested that these points prove Nasheed’s intentions.

“I’ve said this because Nasheed did plan to murder the members of the December 23 coalition. He hired people to carry out the murder and then ordered the Police to fall back,” Shareef is said to have told the press.

Shareef also alleged that Nasheed had planned to create conflict between the police and the MNDF in order to instigate bloodshed that would result in foreign interference in the Maldives’ internal affairs.

The CNI report provided little detail regarding this accusation, stating only that the leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Dr Hassan Saeed, had received reports that the Indian Military were preparing to intervene.

“Deputy leader of the Qaumee Party announced to the public at the Republic Square that Dr Hassan Saeed had received assurances from the Indian High Commission that Indian military will not be coming to the Maldives,” read the report.

Ghafoor said that Shareef’s claims were completely without evidence.

“He should have been more careful and directed his accusations to a serious and credible report,” he said.

“We must remember that Shareef likes to get attention – nobody takes him seriously,” added Ghafoor.

The MDP released the report of its own investigations into the events on Saturday. Prior to its reformation, the MDP had refused to work with the CNI.

The MDP’s version of events had claimed that opposition figures were had plotted the overthrow of the government with the help of a police and army officer protest from as early as September last year.

The report claimed that coup conspirators then engaged in concerted efforts to cultivate an atmosphere of unrest and to conscript willing agitators from within the security forces.

The report names numerous figures within the security forces, including current Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and Police Commissioner Abdullah Riyaz.

Government Spokesman Abbas Adil Riza described the release of the report as “terrorism” whilst the MNDF today threatened legal action against “those who make false claims about the Maldivian military, issue reports, and act in ways that causes loss of public confidence in this institution.”

Meanwhile the MDP have interpreted the CNI timeline as indicating that there had been a coup and that President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan should therefore resign.

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Two arrested in connection with the stabbing of Bangladeshi man

Police have arrested two Maldivian men who were allegedly involved in the stabbing of a Bangladeshi man last night at about 12:30am, while he was near Personal Computers, a computer shop in the Maafanu ward of Male’.

The names and identity of the pair arrested were not disclosed to the media but police said one man was 18 and the other was 19 years-old.

Police said they have confiscated the sharp weapon the assailants used near Maafannu Vakkaru house, with blood on it.

According to police the Bangladeshi man was stabbed in the neck from behind, and he was taken to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) for treatment.

A statement police issued today said that the man’s condition was improving.

Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef today told Minivan News that police have information that four persons were involved in the attack on the Bangladeshi man.

‘’We are searching for the other two involved,’’ Haneef said. ‘’We are not very clear on the motive behind the attack.’’

The stabbing is the latest in a wave of similar incidents across Male’, some of which have proven fatal.

Early last week, prominent Maldivian blogger and journalist Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed was left in a critical condition after his throat was slashed outside his house in Male’. A Bangladeshi man was also stabbed the same evening and suffered minor injuries.

On May 30, the dead body of 16 year-old Mohamed Arham was discovered by police inside the park behind Kulliyathul Dhirasathul Islamiyya.

On May 31, 65 year-old Hassan Abubakur was found murdered inside his own house on the island of Maafaru in Noonu Atoll.

Police have arrested suspects for every stabbing incident with the exception of the attack on Hilath.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have condemned the attack on the journalist, describing it as having  “all the hallmarks of a targeted murder attempt.”

“Rasheed has made many enemies through his outspoken blogging. The authorities in charge of the investigation should not rule out the possibility that this was linked to his journalistic activity. He is a well-known journalist who has repeatedly been censored, arrested and threatened,” RSF said in a statement.
“The police must, as a matter of urgency, put a stop to the harassment of Rasheed and take the issue of his safety seriously. Any lack of response on their part will constitute a criminal failure to assist a person in danger.”
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Former CNI’s timeline proves coup d’etat: MDP

The timeline of events made public by the former Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) last week “proves that former Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik participated in the coup d’etat that took place on 7th February 2012,” the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said, calling on President Waheed to offer his resignation.

In a statement yesterday, the MDP contended that facts included in the CNI timeline proved Waheed’s involvement in the alleged coup and established that former President Mohamed Nasheed “was forced to resign under duress.”

The CNI timeline referred to representatives of the December 23 coalition meeting the then-vice president at 1am on 31 January, where they pledged allegiance to Dr Waheed and urged him to take control of the executive.

The MDP argued that Waheed’s assurance to the opposition leaders that he was prepared to fulfill his responsibilities was in violation of the constitution.

“Article 117(a) of the constitution states that the Vice President’s responsibilities are those which are delegated to him by the President,” the statement explained.

“Thus, when the Vice President met with opposition leaders plotting to overthrow the government and told them that he was ‘prepared to fulfill his constitutional duties’, these duties were in fact those delegated to him by the President. By participating in the government overthrow, Vice President Waheed clearly defied the mandate given to him by President Nasheed, and it is clear that Waheed’s actions were not in accordance with the Constitution.”

The CNI timeline acknowledged that police officers in uniform entered the MDP haruge around midnight on 7 February, the MDP statement noted, where they vandalised the premises and assaulted supporters inside the camp.

However, point 90 of the timeline stated that Vice President Waheed issued a statement via opposition media shortly after the attack on Haruge “characterising the police protest as peaceful, without condemning these violent actions.”

“In the statement the Vice President said: ‘I fully support the peaceful activity that many Maldivians are carrying out,'” the MDP statement noted.

The former ruling party observed that the timeline confirmed that “police were mutinying in Republic Square, which is an area where gatherings are prohibited, calling for the resignation of the President and senior officials of government.”

While the President, Home Minister, Defence Minister and Commissioner of Police were all advising the protesting police to vacate the square, the MDP noted that “the Vice President’s statement via the media encouraged them to carry on their rebellion.”

Moreover, points 158 through 166 of the CNI timeline stated that “the mutinying police and civilians were conducting an uninterrupted assault on the headquarters of the Maldives National Defence Force.”

Point 156 meanwhile acknowledged that police officers at the square charged and attacked MDP protesters on the morning of 7 February, resulting in “serious injuries” to party members.

Points 167 and 168 confirmed that weapons and shields from the police headquarters were distributed to civilians at the Republic Square, the MDP observed, which was “under the control of mutinying police and the civilians that had joined them.”

Moreover, point 207 stated that according to media reports, an announcement was made at the square that President Nasheed was detained inside the MNDF headquarters. Minivan News journalists at the scene on 7 February heard the announcement at about 10am.

The CNI timeline also referred to current Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim emerging from the MNDF barracks to inform the crowd that he had demanded the “immediate and unconditional resignation” of the President, adding that the demand was “non-negotiable.”

Nazim, a retired colonel, was a civilian at the time.

“During all these events, point 170 of the timeline reveals that Vice President Mohamed Waheed did not go to the President’s Office despite it being an official government day and the day of the regular cabinet meeting,” the MDP observed.

The MDP statement went on to note that the timeline confirmed the presence of Nazim and current Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz inside the President’s Office after Nasheed was escorted there under heavy military guard, “despite having no official capacity or status.”

Points 236, 241, 242 and 244 of the timeline revealed that Nasheed’s resignation letter was not delivered to the Speaker of Parliament by official dispatch, the statement added.

Photos emerged on 7 February of Nazim and Riyaz carrying the resignation letter to parliament.

“The biggest revelation from the timeline released by the Commission of National Inquiry, and as proved by the points listed above, is that power changed hands on 7th February 2012 through a coup d’état conducted by the police and military with the support of opposition political leaders and Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed,” the MDP statement concluded.

“Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has repeatedly stated during meetings with diplomats and international partners that he would resign if it were proven that the events of 7th February 2012 were a coup d’état. Given these statements, the Maldivian Democratic Party calls on Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik to offer his resignation.”

In an interview with the BBC last week, Dr Waheed said that should the CNI “find out that I had a role in bringing about a coup, then I would definitely resign.”

He however added, “But if I have no role – if somebody else has done it – it doesn’t mean I have to resign, according to the law of the Maldives.”

Contacted by Minivan News for a response to the MDP statement today, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said the government had “no comment”.

Riza however noted that the MDP was “not an investigative body.”

Points noted by the MDP from the former CNI’s timeline:

  • Point 14: Vice President met with some leaders of the [Opposition] Coalition on the night of 30 January 2012 at Hilaaleege, his residence. He was asked at the meeting whether he was prepared to carry out his legal responsibilities. He said he was ready to do so. Coalition leaders held a press conference after the meeting to announce their endorsement of the Vice President [for President].
  • Point 17: Following Coalition discussions, protests began at Artificial Beach on 2 February 2012. At the protest, Adhaalath Party leader Imran Abdulla calls for police to arrest President Nasheed within five days [by 8 February].
  • Point 27: At the protests Adhaalath Party announces that its National Council had unanimously decided President Nasheed was not a worthy leader and had declared their full support for Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.
  • Point 29: Home Minister asked Police Commissioner to remove police from the area where protests were being held.
  • Point 34: President Nasheed called the Commissioner a second time and ordered him to remove the police from the area, saying confidence in the police has been lost.
  • Point 41: When the military officers asked the police to leave the area, the Police Commander said they would not leave unless replacements arrive. President Nasheed phoned the Deputy Commissioner to say he was not adequately carrying out his responsibilities, and asked him to stay at home.
  • Point 47: On receiving the order from President Nasheed to have his officers removed from the area, the Male’ Area Commander considered the situation and, seeing the atmosphere as uneasy, gave the order for them to move to the Saw Mill area instead of the HQ. He thought they may have to return to the Artificial Beach soon if they left.
  • Point 113: When President Nasheed entered the main gates of Bandaara Koshi, he addressed some military officers gathered there and said police out there had mutinied and needed to be arrested. He then went inside and into the Defence Minister’s office.
  • Point 143: Suddenly, without consulting with the military, President Nasheed went to the Republic Square and began addressing the police. In addition to the bodyguards who accompanied him, Defence Minister and Chief of Defence Forces were with him. When he spoke, some MPs were also beside him.
    “I am still talking to the Maldivian police. I think you have done something wrong. I accept that given the way things happened you may not have properly realised what you were doing or where you were going. But, it is still my wish that you hand yourselves over to the police station or to the military. I assure you that I will not allow anything bad to happen to you.”
  • Point 144: Police refused to accept President Nasheed’s proposal to hand themselves over to the military.
  • Point 145: President Nasheed called over to him one of the policemen who he sent over to the military. When he called a second policeman, even though he came over, returned to sit with the police who had started protesting.
  • Point 156: As the police were finishing their recital, a group of MDP protesters holding hands approached the police from the back. Police and Coalition protesters confronted them and dispersed them. Several MDP people and police were injured during the attempts to stop the confrontation. Rumours spread among the police that one of their members had been stabbed in the neck with steel rod.
  • Point 158: When the noise outside the main gate area of Bandaar Koshi became very loud, members of the military who were waiting to meet with the president ran towards the main gate assuming that people were trying to force their way into the military headquarters.
  • Point 163: From here onwards police released a lot of gas. A large number of the military and public at Republic Square dispersed from the area as a result. The way the wind was blowing that day, all the gas travelled south towards Bandaar Koshi. Shortly afterwards, the police moved forward spraying tear gas as they approached. The police and the public threw at the military anything they could get their hands on. The confrontation on both sides was intense and the public, military and the police sustained varying degrees of injuries.
  • Point 164: Public and the police confronted the military and pushed them back as far as their main headquarters. As the military retreated, they were firing riot guns.
  • Point 165: Once most of the military on retreat had entered the headquarters, the main gates were shut. Some members of the military could not get in and had to remain outside.
  • Point 166: Police and public were throwing bottles and various other things in the whole area. Chairs and various other household equipment were also thrown onto the streets and into the Bandaara Koshi from within the building.
  • Point 167: Windows on the first floor of the military headquarters were opened and shields were distributed to military personnel and the public.
  • Point 168: All areas near the Republic Square were brought under police control. The area was under the supervision of the police and the public.
  • Point 170: Cabinet Secretariat notified all cabinet members via SMS, except Vice President, that the cabinet meeting was on that day. Although the Vice President’s secretariat was aware of the meeting, Dr Waheed did not receive the message. Two senior members of the Vice President’s secretariat did not report for work that day.
  • Point 207: Media reports reported members of the public at the Republic Square as saying President Nasheed had been arrested.
  • Point 210: After Abdulla Riyaz and Nazim conducted their negotiations inside Bandaara Koshi, Nazim emerged to address the Republic Square. He said he had made two proposals.
    “Assalaam alaikum. I hope everybody is okay. Yes, I have just met with the Defence Minister and all high-ranking military personnel and made a proposal of ours. The proposal was that the President should resign without condition. And, after that, to transfer all powers to the Vice President. Our second condition was that the Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh and both his deputies resign at once. We told them these are non-negotiable conditions. These are not things up for further discussion. We assure the beloved Maldivians, military and police who are with us that, God willing, these things will happen this way by the deadline we have set for 1:30 today. When I entered the military headquarters I was given a very happy scene. Everyone within the military lifted me up and very completely revealed their support for me. God willing, things will happen today as we want. I ask the military, police and people to patiently remain with us.”
  • Point 228: Minister of Defence and National Security, Minister of Finance, Minister of Transport and Communication, Special Envoy to the President, Chief of Staff at the President’s Office, and Cabinet Secretary were in attendance [at the cabinet meeting].
  • Point 229: At the meeting the President said he had to resign and gave his reasons. He said under the circumstances he saw it best to resign.
  • Point 232: While he was at the Ghaazee Maalam, Nazim, Fayaz and Riyaz also came in.
  • Point 233: Nazim told President Nasheed that Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid had enquired after the resignation letter President Nasheed was sending to the Majlis.
  • Point 234: President Nasheed asked the Cabinet Secretary about the resignation letter who replied that it had not yet been prepared. The president asked him to bring a pen and paper. When the President’s official Letterhead paper and a pen were brought, President Nasheed wrote the resignation letter in his own hand and signed it. He was standing at a podium in the room.
  • Point 236: President Nasheed announced his resignation himself, in the presence of the cabinet members, in front of the media, live, at 12:57 p.m.
    “Beloved citizens of the Maldives. I see that if I were to continue as President of the Maldives a lot of harm may befall Maldivians and the Maldives. Therefore, as of today, I am resigning from the post of the President of the Maldives. I have never wanted to rule by force. I came to this decision because, in my opinion, I sincerely believe, that if this government is to be maintained, it would require the use of extreme force and cause harm to a lot of citizens. Also, in my opinion, if attempts are to be made to maintain this government, it is very likely that the Maldives will become susceptible to foreign influences. I have always wished the best for Maldivians and will continue to do so in the future. I have made the decision today to resign for the benefit of Maldivians, with sincere respect and keeping in mind the high levels of support Maldivians have shown me. I hope that Maldivians will see a more prosperous tomorrow and I pray our lives will be good now and in the hereafter.”
  • Point 241: Before he left, the military arranged a three-line strong cordon to reinforce security in the area.
  • Point 242: Riyaz and Nazim accompanied President Nasheed. Riyaz had the President’s resignation letter in his hand at the time.
  • Point 244: Speaker of the Parliament received President Nasheed’s resignation letter at 13:43.
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Transparency Maldives launches free legal assistance for victims of corruption

Victims of corruption in the Maldives can now seek free legal assistance from experts at a new centre launched yesterday.

The “Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre” (ALAC) established by Transparency Maldives and funded by the government of Australia, will offer assistance and legal advice for both local and foreign victims of corruption in the Maldives.

Victims and witnesses of corruption can call the centre’s toll free number – (800) 300 3567 – and lodge their concerns and complaints anonymously.

The ALAC aims to provide legal assistance to victims and abolish corrupt practices in the nation through collaborations with relevant government and state institutions, private organisations and individuals and other stakeholders.

A Memorandum of Understanding has already being signed between the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the centre. Further negotiations are ongoing with 18 different organisations including the Elections Commission, Civil Court, Local Government Authority, Police Integrity Commission and Maldives Customs Service to discuss ways to collaborate in the centre.

Speaking at the ALAC launching ceremony, President of the ACC Hassan Luthfy welcomed the initiative to open the centre and called on stakeholders to lend their support to make the effort a success.

“The ACC stands to gain the most benefit from ALAC. The centre would make the commission’s work a lot more efficient,” Luthfy said.

Luthfy also expressed his satisfaction with the NGO in general adding that the ACC had received the most assistance from Transparency Maldives since the commission was formed.

Speaking at the ceremony, Executive Director of Transparency Maldives Ilham Mohamed highlighted the importance of assistance from relevant institutions in the advocacy projects currently undertaken by the NGO.

Transparency Maldives is currently in the process of formulating a new Anti-Corruption bill, Right to Information bill, Transparency in Political Party Financing bill and a bill on increasing transparency in the Decentralisation programme.

“While we are working on these bills it is very important for different people to offer their input into the process. We need more people to discuss their ideas with us, more debates on public forums or in the media. It would make the bills more complete,” said Ilham Mohamed.

The ALAC will also address issues related to labour authorities and human trafficking – one of Transparency Maldives’ “biggest concerns” at present.

Project Director of Transparency Maldives, Aiman Rasheed, said “the whole system [of expatriate labour] is just so corrupt. So we have an agreement to bring a member of staff from Transparency Bangladesh here over the next year to help us deal with complaints from Bangladeshi workers,” he said.

The Maldives rose slightly to rank 134 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2011, a mild improvement on 2010 when the Maldives was ranked 143th – below Zimbabwe.

Rasheed said at the time that the ranking could not be compared year-to-year, especially in the Maldives where there were only a three sources used to determine the index (India has six).

“Corruption in the Maldives is grand corruption, unlike neighbouring countries where much of it is petty corruption,” Rasheed said. “In the Maldives there is corruption across the judiciary, parliament and members of the executive, all of it interlinked, and a systemic failure of the systems in place to address this. That why we score so low.”

Maldivians voted in the country’s first democratic elections in 2008 bringing an end to the 30-year rule of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The first democratically elected President resigned in February following mutiny from security forces allegedly loyal to the former dictator.

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MNDF threatens legal action over “imaginary” Ameen-Aslam coup report

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) released a statement yesterday threatening legal action against “those who make false claims about the Maldivian military, issue reports, and act in ways that causes loss of public confidence in this institution.”

The MNDF statement follows the publication of a detailed investigative report by former ministers in the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government: Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam and National Security Advisor Ameen Faisal (also former Defence Minister).

The Ameen-Aslam report alleged that military intelligence had learned of the then-opposition’s plan to topple the government by soliciting “about 500 police officers to protest at the Republic Square” and highlights “unlawful and criminal activity” of mutinying police officers in the events leading up to former President Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation “under duress” on February 7.

The MNDF statement strongly condemned and expressed concern with “those of a particular political ideology making false claims and issuing reports about the Maldivian military, inciting hatred among the beloved Maldivian people toward the military and causing loss of public confidence [in the institution].”

The military “would not hesitate to take necessary action within the bounds of law against any danger to national security,” the statement added.

President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News yesterday that the inclusion in the Ameen-Aslam report of the names of police and MNDF officers accused of involvement in the alleged coup was an “act of terrorism”.

“The report is illegal and an act of terrorism. They can’t reveal the names of officers of the security forces like that and threaten their families,” he said.

Asked if the government intended to take action against either the MDP or the co-authors of the report, Abbas said “the security services will decide on the matter.”

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim called on MNDF officers named in the report to sue for defamation.

Nazim said the officers had the right to clear their names and protect the dignity and reputation of their families, revealing that “internal discussions” were ongoing on the issue.

“The imaginary report released recently had names of some people in it,” he said. “I have told them to go to court and challenge it.”

He added that he would make a decision whether to sue the co-authors for defamation himself after due consideration.

Nazim was named in the report as “a coup leader” tasked with recruiting MNDF senior and middle-ranking officers to the cause of toppling Nasheed’s government.

The defence ministry would provide “any assistance we can” to the officers who intend to file defamation cases, Nazim said. Defamation was decriminalised in 2009 and made a civil offence with Rf5,000 (US$324) as compensation.

The MNDF statement meanwhile contended that the report was politically-motivated, contained baseless claims and was “irresponsible” in identifying individual officers accused of planning the coup.

The report’s naming of individuals in the military “achieves nothing apart from sullying the good name, reputation, honour and dignity of innocent people,” the statement read.

Ameen Faisal and Mohamed Aslam were unavailable for comment at time of press.

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