Day: October 25, 2012

MNDF Fire and Rescue Service put out fire in workshop

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Fire and Rescue Service put out a fire that broke out at a workshop in the seven-storey Sun Gold building on Orchid Magu in Male’.

According to the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), the fire was reported at 6:50pm on Thursday evening and FRS arrived in the area three minutes later. No one was injured in the fire, FRS said.

The workshop, located next to Asrafee Bookshop, has an adjoining warehouse. Both the workshop and warehouse are in the ground floor of the Sun Gold building, which is part of Maafanu Unimaage.

Local media meanwhile reported that the Sun Gold building as well as residences in the vicinity were evacuated. The warehouse was reportedly used to store outboard engines, jet skis and chemicals.

An official from Sun Travels Company, which owns the workshop and warehouse, told Sun Online that engines, petrol and other expensive items were stored at the warehouse. The workshop also had equipment used for resin and fibre work, the official said.

The official said that residents on the upper floor of the building were not at home when the fire broke out.

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Court urges strict action against witnesses for changing testimony

The Criminal Court has urged the state to take strict action against prosecution witnesses who change their testimony at court, reports Sun Online.

At Tuesday’s trial on the murder of Ali Shifan, of M. Fairy Corner, the presiding judge said that strict action should be taken against witnesses produced by the state who gave testimony that differed from their statements to the police.

While the witnesses testified at court on Tuesday that they saw Shifan being stabbed, they claimed that none of the six suspects detained by the state were involved in the stabbing.

Based on the testimony, the defence attorney asked the court to dismiss the charges against the accused.

However, the prosecutor objected and requested that the court order police to arrest an additional suspect, Mohamed Mishan Abdul Haadhee, of M. Silver Nest, who had been released.

The judge meanwhile ruled that lack of evidence was not sufficient reason to believe that the accused were not a threat to society. He therefore ordered police to detain Mishan Abdul Haadheen and keep the other accused in detention until the end of the trial.

All six suspects arrested in the murder case denied the charges when they were produced before the Criminal Court in September.

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MDP MPs call on JSC to suspend CSC Chair Fahmy

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs have called on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to suspend Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chair Mohamed Fahmy Hassan from the judicial watchdog body as a sexual harassment case against the JSC member had been forwarded for prosecution.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, MDP MPs ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, Hamid Abdul Gafoor, Ibrahim Rasheed, Mohamed Rasheed and Mohamed Thoriq criticised the JSC’s public statements insisting that parliament could not summon judges to committee.

The MPs contended that the JSC continuing to hold meetings with Fahmy in attendance was against the spirit of the constitution, adding that Fahmy had a conflict of interest in sitting in the JSC while a criminal case against him was being prepared to be filed at court.

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Maldivian Airline celebrates arrival of first Airbus A320 aircraft

Maldivian, the national airline carrier, celebrated the arrival of its first Airbus A320 aircraft in the Maldives at a ceremony at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) on Wednesday.

According to Maldivian, the aircraft interior was “modified to a three class configuration: 14 business, 24 premium and 114 economy class seats and was installed with an in-flight entertainment system.”

“Training, maintenance and operation procedures needed to be adapted to the specific characteristics of the A320, while ensuring an efficient and effective implementation schedule that will facilitate safe, effective, and sustained operations,” reads a press statement by the carrier.

The aircraft was ferried from Toulouse, France to Maldives via Doha.

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State institutions blame Finance Ministry for unpaid electricity bills

Senior officials of state institutions summoned to parliament’s Government Oversight Committee on Tuesday night blamed the Finance Ministry for unpaid electricity bills to the State Electricity Company (STELCO).

STELCO Chief Technical Officer Dr Mohamed Zaid told the committee that local councils informed STELCO that funds allocated in their annual budgets were only enough to pay electricity bills for two or three months.

Zaid said discussions with the government have been ongoing since STELCO’s board made a decision to disconnect electricity from state institutions with large overdue bills.

The company was owed MVR 174 million (US$11.3 million) from various state institutions, he said.

While 78 percent of STELCO’s expenditure was on diesel, Dr Zaid revealed that the company owed MVR 132 million (US$8.6 million) for oil purchased on credit, including MVR 34 million (US$2.2 million) for oil bills currently overdue.

Among the institutions with the largest outstanding bills, the Male’ Health Corporation (MHC), which operates the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), owes STELCO MVR 31 million (US$2 million) for 20 months of unpaid bills while the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) owes MVR 7.1 million (US$460,000) for the past five months.

Speaking at the committee, Male’ City Councillor Aimon Ismail said the Finance Ministry did not provide MVR 6.74 million (US$437,094) requested by the council for electricity costs in 2012. The Male’ City Council is responsible for paying electricity bills for mosques, public parks and street lights in the capital.

Meanwhile, newspaper Haveeru reported yesterday (Wednesday) that parliament’s Finance Committee decided to give the Finance Ministry a week to settle MBC’s outstanding bills in addition to asking the Auditor General’s Office to conduct a special performance audit of the state broadcaster.

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Majlis committee approves secret ballot for no-confidence votes

Parliament’s General Affairs Committee last week approved an amendment to the rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot.

The amendment was proposed by Maldivian Democratic Democratic (MDP) MP Mohamed Shifaz after a similar amendment was withdrawn by Independent MP Ahmed Amir.

The MDP-majority committee approved the amendment with four votes in favour and none against, committee chair and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP for mid-Henveiru Ali Azim told local media. Only five MPs reportedly attended the committee meeting last week.

The amendment to parliament’s standing orders or rules of procedure would have to be approved in a vote at the Majlis floor to become official.

The MDP has submitted no-confidence motions against both Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

While a minister can be removed from his post through a simple majority of the 77 MPs in parliament, a two-thirds majority or 52 votes would be needed to impeach a sitting president.

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MIRA files cases at Civil Court to enforce judgments over unpaid rent, fines

The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has filed a case at the Civil Court seeking US$145,291.31 as unpaid fines levied for non-payment of lease rent for Alif Alif Maaga.

In a press release on Wednesday, MIRA explained that the case was filed to enforce a Civil Court judgment on September 30, which ordered Ellaidhoo Investments Pvt Ltd to settle the fine within 14 days. However, as a result of non-payment, the resort company owes MIRA US$145,291.31 as of October 21.

The MIRA press release noted that the fine would increase until the full payment is made.

MIRA further revealed that Ellaidhoo Investments on October 16 settled US$19,274 as unpaid lease rent for Alif Alif Ellaidhoo in accordance with a previous Civil Court judgment. As a result, MIRA was in the process of withdrawing a case filed on June 4 at the Civil Court to enforce the judgment.

MIRA also filed a case at the Civil Court last week against Alliance Management Services Company Pvt Ltd over an unpaid fine of MVR1.5 million (US$97,276) imposed for late payment of tourism tax for M.S. Costa Romantica.

In its judgment on July 17, the Civil Court ordered Alliance Management Services Company Pvt Ltd to pay a fine of MVR 1,000 (US$64) for each of the 1500 beds on the cruise liner, M.S. Costa Romantica. The court had also ordered Alliance Management Services Pvt Ltd to settle the full amount of MVR 1,500,000 within two months.

Meanwhile, on October 14, MIRA filed  a case against Freesia Maldives Pvt Ltd at the Civil Court to claim the rent of ‘Galolhu Boalha Dhandu [Galholhu Stadium] 6 Number Fihaara [Shop]’ and the fine imposed for late payment of rent.

The case aganst Freesia involves MVR 352,862.90 (US$22,883) as unpaid rent and MVR 154,374.94 (US$10,011) as the fine imposed for non-payment of rent  from May 19, 2010 to October 31, 2010.

Freesia Maldives Pvt Ltd owes a total of MVR 507,234.84 (US$32,894) to the state.

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Majlis committee votes to change party registration and funding requirements

The parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee has voted to change the requirements concerning registration and state funding for political parties, according to the committee’s chair and Independent MP for Kulhudhufushi South Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed.

Writing in his personal blog (Dhivehi), MP Nasheed revealed that “a clear majority” of the committee voted in favour of requiring parties to gain 5000 members before it can be officially registered, and 10,000 members before becoming eligible for state funds. The current requirement is 3000 members for both under the current regulations governing political parties.

The requirements were stipulated in the draft legislation on political parties currently being reviewed by the committee.

Nasheed expressed confidence that the committee’s decision would not be overturned on the Majlis floor when the bill is put up for a vote.

“When the law is passed, the current registered parties with less than 5,000 members would be given a six month period to reach the figure. If a party fails to reach that figure by the end of the period, the particular party would be dissolved,” Nasheed explained.

The changes would currently impact upon President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s own Guamee Ittihad Party (GIP) which has only 2,538 members, as well the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) with 2,199 members.

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Bill submitted to ban import of pork and alcohol

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Nazim Rashad has submitted a bill to the Majlis calling for the prohibition of pork and alcohol imports to the country.

When presenting the bill, Nazim argued that the import of these products violates article 10(b) of the constitution which states that “no law contrary to any tenet of Islam shall be enacted in the Maldives.”

“We often hear rumours that people have alcohol at home in their fridge, available any time. We’ve heard that kids take alcohol to school to drink during their break. The issue is more serious than we think, it should not be ignored,” Nazim told the house.

Consumption of intoxicants or pork products are prohibited under Islamic law, although these products are available to foreign tourists in the country’s resorts.

When in charge, the MDP government announced it was considering banning pork and alcohol product in response to the December 23 coalition‘s campaign to protect Islam.

After being asked in January for a consultative opinion over whether the Maldives could import pork and alcohol without violating the nation’s Shariah-based constitution, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the case on the grounds that the matter did not need to be addressed at the Supreme Court level.

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