Month: October 2012

Leaked Theemuge invoices “few among thousands”: MP Rozaina

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Rozaina Adam has said that invoices from the former presidential palace Theemuge she leaked through Twitter on Friday were “just a few among thousands” at the parliament’s Finance Committee.

In a press statement issued in response to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s attorney denying wrongdoing by the Gayoom family, the DRP MP for Thulusdhoo noted that the former president’s lawyer had neither contested the authenticity of the bills and invoices nor denied that the expenses were made out of the Theemuge budget.

Gayoom’s lawyer Ibrahim Waheed had insisted in a press statement on Sunday that all expenditure out of the presidential palace was “in accordance with the rules and regulations” as parliament had approved the funds for the palace.

However, Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim told newspaper Haveeru today that the state should recover funds used by former presidents on their families and associates. Lack of legislation explicitly prohibiting such expenses was not an obstacle to recovering the misappropriated funds, the Auditor General contended.

He noted that there was no law that authorised the use of public funds for personal expenses, adding that assistance from state funds should be provided on an equal and fair basis.

“Even if its Nasheed, Waheed or Maumoon, no one can spend state funds for their own personal use,” Niyaz was quoted as saying.

While the Theemuge audit report for 2007 and 2008 was released in April 2009, Rozaina meanwhile explained that the Auditor General’s Office sent bills from the former presidential palace to the parliament’s powerful public accounts oversight committee in 2012.

The damning audit report revealed that extravagant expenses for the Gayoom family were made out of the Theemuge Welfare Fund, earmarked for helping the poor.

In addition to the invoices she posted on Friday, Rozaina revealed that documents at the committee showed that former First Lady Nasreena Ibrahim took US$50,000 in cash during a trip to Dubai on May 6, 2007.

In her statement, Rozaina noted the expenses she exposed on Friday in Maldivian Rufiya: MVR193,209 on trouser material in 2008; MVR116,373 for Gayoom’s daughter Yumna Maumoon’s stay in Singapore’s Grand Hyatt Hotel in 2007; MVR364,958 for Yumna’s stay at the same hotel during the previous year; MVR202,096 for Yumna’s husband Nadeem, Gayoom’s son Gassan Maumoon and his wife Swineetha’s stay in the hotel; and over MVR29,000 for Gassan’s spectacles.

On Waheed’s claim that the expenses were lawful, Rozaina noted that the former Auditor General had recommended recovering the funds used by Gayoom’s family and associates and pressing charges against the former president for misappropriation of public funds.

The audit report had noted that over US$ 3 million earmarked for helping the poor was spent on “the president’s relatives, ministers and their families, senior government officials and some MPs.”

The report stated that 49 percent of the palace’s budget, equivalent to MVR 48.2 million (US$3,750,000 at the time), was diverted from the budget for the poor in 2007 and 52 percent, MVR 44.9 million (US$3,500,000), in 2008.

Rozaina meanwhile went on to say that she believed the public should know of the extravagant spending by the former president’s family, as it was done at a time when a large number of Maldivian citizens displaced by the tsunami were living in temporary shelters.

The family’s shopping sprees in London and stays in expensive hotels in Singapore could have paid for a number of infrastructure projects in her constituency alone, Rozaina noted, such as building classrooms in Kaafu Huraa or establishing sewerage systems in Kaafu Thulusdhoo, Himmafushi and Dhiffushi.

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Eight men charged with VTV vandalism sentenced for seven years

The Criminal Court has sentenced eight men charged with the vandalism of private TV station Villa TV (VTV) to seven years imprisonment.

The court ruled that the witnesses produced by the state told the court they saw the eight men throw stones at VTV security personnel and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officials outside the building and that the testimony was enough to find the accused guilty of the crime.

The judge also said the court was produced with video footage and pictures of the events that day.

The Prosecutor General (PG) had pressed charges against Ismail Hammaadh of Maduvvari in Raa Atoll, Ahmed Hameeed and Hussein Hameed of Alifushi in Raa Atoll, Ahmed Naeem of Henveiru Ladhumaageaage, Hussein Shifau Jameel of Maafannu Nooruzeyru, Aanim Hassan of Ferishoo in North Ali Atoll, Ahmed Muheen of Galolhu Haalam and Mohamed Hameed for vandalising VTV.

The attack on the television station occurred during protests against the re-opening of the People’s Majlis on March 19. The building, as well as the soldiers guarding its entrance on Sosun Magu, came under attack as police tear gas forced the protesters south, past the building from the police barricades nearer to the Majlis building.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik delivered his opening address to parliament amid widespread anti-government demonstrations, after the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) took to the street to prevent him from giving the speech. Violent clashes between police and protesters sparked major unrest in the capital Male’.

Villa TV is owned by resort tycoon, Jumhoree Party (JP) leader and MP Gasim ‘Buruma’ Ibrahim, who is in a coalition with Dr Waheed’s government. Gasim is also a member of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), the body charged with oversight of the judiciary.

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MDP MP submits resolution to form commission to investigate torture

Parliament on Monday began preliminary debate on a resolution submitted by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Rasheed ‘Kubey’ to form an independent commission with foreign judges to investigate torture and custodial abuse during the 30-year rule of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

In a preliminary statement in July following an appraisal of the Maldives’ compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) expressed “grave concern” about the lack of investigations and redress for cases of torture, which it noted was “systematic and systemic.”

The UN treaty body urged the Maldives to set up an independent Commission of Inquiry to conduct criminal investigations and ensure compensation for all victims of torture.

Article 7 of the ICCPR, which the Maldives acceded to in 2006, states, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Debate

Introducing the resolution to parliament on Monday, MP Mohamed Rasheed said the purpose of the resolution was to facilitate investigations to identify perpetrators and ensure that they face justice.

During the ensuing debate, MDP MP Ali Waheed argued that the Maldives could not consolidate democracy and move forward without acknowledging or investigating the human rights abuses of the past.

MDP MP for Gaaf Dhaal Dhaandhoo, Mohamed Riyaz, accused the judiciary of blocking attempts by the former administration to investigate allegations of torture against former prison guards and senior officials of the former National Security Service (NSS).

In May 2011, the High Court overruled a warrant issued by the Maafushi magistrate court for the detention of former chief prison warden ‘Isthafa’ Ibrahim Mohamed Manik on allegations of overseeing torture of inmates.

MDP MP Ahmed Rasheed, representing Haa Alif Hoarafushi constituency, meanwhile claimed that every family in the country had at least one young male incarcerated for drug abuse and tortured. MDP MP for Shaviyani Komandoo, Hussain Waheed, concurred and suggested that most youth with criminal records “would have received unjust punishment at jail some years ago.”

“After being put in jail, they were treated as animals for the entertainment of the people in charge of the jail,” Waheed said, contending that torture exacerbated crime rates as victims “lost all inhibition” as a result of their experiences in prison.

Monday’s parliamentary debate was interrupted seven times due to loss of quorum.

Apart from Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ali Azim and Independent MP Ahmed Amir, all MPs who spoke during the debate were members of the former ruling party.

MPs of former President Gayoom’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) did not participate in the debate.

The DRP MP for Mid-Henveiru said he did not support parliament forming inquiry commissions as such investigations fall under the mandate of institutions such as the police and independent commissions.

“Therefore, for this honourable Majlis to institute a committee or form a commission every time something like this happens I would say is an obstacle to doing things responsibly,” Azim said.

Azim went on to say that he does not support a commission to investigate “only physical torture” as other forms of torture, such as “psychological torture,” were prevalent during the three years of the MDP administration.

An example of “psychological torture” was pay cuts for civil servants introduced in October 2009 by the MDP government, Azim said.

Independent MP for Dhaal Kudahuvadhoo, Ahmed Amir, meanwhile praised former President Gayoom for ratifying the new democratic constitution and “granting” freedom of expression.

Amir claimed that efforts to investigate allegations of corruption or wrongdoing by Gayoom had “turned up nothing,” suggesting that those who accused the former President should “tire at some point and give up.”

“Imagination” the only limit

Men chained to coconut palms

In May 2011, a torture investigation committee led by former Defence Minister Ameen Faisal was formed by Presidential decree to investigate torture allegations and obtain information concerning custodial abuse.

In June 2011, police began investigations of 51 cases forwarded by the new office.

The committee meanwhile released photos of men tied to coconut palms, caged, and bloodied. One of the photos, of a prisoner lying on a blood-soaked mattress, had a 2001 date stamp.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said at the time that some of the complaints concerned “inhumane activities” and violations of human rights within the prison system, while others related to people “who were imprisoned for a long time without trial, or were kept in custody despite a court order [to the contrary].”

Meanwhile, in considering the Maldives’ reporting on the ICCPR in July this year, the UNHRC drew on a report submitted by international anti-torture NGO REDRESS, containing testimonies of 28 victims of torture while in state custody.

“Forms of torture and ill-treatment included the use of suspension, lengthy use of stocks, being beaten withfists and bars, kicked, blindfolded, handcuffed, the dislocation of joints and breaking of bones, being forced to roll and squat on sharp coral, being drowned or forced into the sea, being put in a water tank, being burned, having bright lights shone in eyes, being left outside for days while tied or handcuffed to a tree, being covered in sugar water or leaves to attract ants and goats, and in one case being tied to a crocodile’s cage. Sexual assault and humiliation was also routinely used. Many testimonies suggest the only limit to the torture and ill-treatment imposed was the imagination of those whose control they were under,” a UNHRC panel member read.

“Surely this is something that refers to before 2008,” the panel member stated, “but the [present government] has a responsibility to pursue and investigate and bring to justice if these [allegations] are indeed correct. If there is an atmosphere of impunity regarding torture, I would offer that the present situation would not be treated differently by those who would want to violate the office they have, and abuse those under their care, or those going peacefully about their business.”

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Annulling GMR agreement “only option for reclaiming airport”: Dr Hassan Saeed

The only option for “reclaiming the airport from GMR” is to invalidate or cancel the concession agreement with the Indian infrastructure giant, argues Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Leader and Special Advisor to the President, Dr Hassan Saeed, in a new book (Dhivehi) released on Monday.

The book, titled: “Loss and challenges of the long-term leasing of Male’ international airport to GMR” was launched at a ceremony on Monday at the government-aligned private broadcaster DhiTV by Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, deputy leader of the DQP.

The booklet covers various issues surrounding the concession agreement awarding management and development of the international airport to a consortium of GMR Infrastructure Limited and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), alleged purported national security threats, economic and financial damages and undue advantages for the consortium.

Speaking at the book launching ceremony, Home Minister Jameel said it was the duty of the most capable people in the country to step forward and help “liberate” the nation from “grave problems” during the current “difficult times”.

Jameel claimed the former DQP presidential candidate’s book would reveal a number of facts that the Maldivian people were unaware of before the signing of the agreement.

The Home Minister added that he hoped ongoing efforts by the coalition of parties supporting the current government would yield results.

Dr Hassan Saeed was not responding to calls by Minivan News at time of press.

In his book, Saeed laid out three choices for the government: continuing the agreement in its current form, resolving disputes through dialogue or invalidating the agreement.

The DQP leader contended that cancelling the agreement and nationalising the airport would be the beneficial course of action for the nation.

“There is little hope that GMR would implement changes brought to the agreement through dialogue,” Saeed wrote. “GMR will change what is written in the agreement in black and white any time it pleases. For example, although the agreement states that 27 percent of from oil revenue must be paid to the state, it has been changed. GMR knows very well the skill to change the minds of the government of the day and its senior officials.”

Saeed further claimed that the concession agreement posed dangers to national security, in addition to being contrary to public interest and violating the constitution, the Public Finance Act and the Companies Act.

If the airport was not nationalised in the near future, since all parties in the ruling coalition opposed the deal, Saeed argued that the presidential election in 2013 would become “a referendum” on annulling the agreement.

Saeed claimed that GMR would donate large sums of money to parties in favour of keeping the agreement in place.

Conceding that cancelling the agreement would strain relations with India, Saeed contended that the move would be beneficial in the long-term to both countries.

Saeed compared cancelling the deal to “taking bitter medicine to cure a disease” or “amputating an organ to stop the spread of cancer.”

The book also likened GMR to the Indian Borah traders expelled from the Maldives by former President Ibrahim Nasir.

IFC role

Meanwhile, in June this year, a delegation from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a member of the World Bank group and the largest global institution focused on the private sector in developing countries – met with senior government officials to address concerns over the concession agreement.

On the bidding process, which was organised by the IFC and “evaluated based on the payment of an upfront fee as well as annual concession fees as a percentage of gross revenues to the government”, a document by the organisation explained that, “Each bidder was required to demonstrate that it had the requisite experience in developing, designing, constructing, operating, and financing airports of a similar size.

“The technical solutions proposed by the bidders were also expected to consider the specific conditions on Hulhulé Island,  including its physical and environmental constraints, and the coordination required between conventional aviation activities, seaplanes, and motor boats.

“The cornerstone of the project was the construction of a new passenger terminal expected to meet LEED silver criteria and to be carbonneutral—i.e., to minimize energy consumption and carbon emissions through the use of energy-efficiency and renewable-energy technologies, and minimize water consumption. The bidders were also asked to make specific, predefined improvements to the existing airport infrastructure, and to manage all core airport services, including the provision of fuel—a historically established role at Malé airport.”

However, in early September, the government accused the IFC of negligence during the bidding process for INIA – allegations there were rejected by the organisation amidst continued calls from government-aligned parties to renationalise the airport.

Both the government and GMR are presently involved in an arbitration case in Singapore over the airport development.

Previous publications

In August, Dr Hassan Saeed released a book in English entitled, “Democracy betrayed: behind the mask of the island President”.

Speaking to local media at the book’s launch at the studios of private broadcaster Villa Television (VTV), DQP Secretary General Abdullah Ameen said the book detailed reasons why former President Nasheed had to resign on February 7.

Ameen added that the reasons mentioned in the book included the controversial detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed and allegations that Nasheed wished to “destroy the values of Islam” in the country.

In the months leading up to the controversial transfer of power on February 7, the DQP published a pamphlet titled ‘President Nasheed’s devious plot to destroy the Islamic faith of Maldivians’.

In an interview with UK’s the Guardian newspaper recently, Saeed said the charges were justified. “You look at his behaviour, his actions, you have to come to that conclusion,” Saeed said.

The Nasheed administration had slammed the publication at the time for containing “extremist, bigoted and hate-filled rhetoric”. The pamphlet and religious-based allegations also led to successive attempts by the Nasheed administration to arrest two senior members of the party and sparked a debate on freedom of expression and hate speech in the Maldives.

Saeed was also a co-author of the book Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam, which discussed the issue of apostasy in Islam and stirred controversy during the 2008 presidential election.

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Transparency Maldives conducts RTI Symposium with state stakeholders

At a symposium on promoting right to information(RTI) organised by local anti-corruption NGO, Transparency Maldives, discussions were held on the importance of establishing a strong RTI regime in the country.

A variety of sessions, including RTI and democracy, administering an RTI regime, local governance and RTI, and proactive disclosure by the state were discussed at this symposium which aimed to create awareness among policy makers, public officials, civil society and media.

“We invited high level officials from relevant state institutions to the symposium. Our hope is that we can form partnerships to further promote RTI and advocate for passing the RTI bill currently in parliament with the best practices included in it,” Transparency Maldives Advocacy Manager Aiman Rasheed told Minivan News.

The NGO further said that they had invited experts from around the world to impart information about the importance of establishing a robust RTI law.

Speakers at the event included Senior Legal Officer for Freedom of Information and Expression at the Open Society Justice Initiative Sandra Coliver, Deputy Executive Director of the Open Democracy Advice Centre Mukelani Dimba, Legal Officer for the Centre for Law and Democracy Michael Karanicolas, Programme Coordinator of Access to Information Programme at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Venkatesh Nayak, former Information Commissioner at the Indian Central Information Commission Shailesh Gandhi and Chairperson of local NGO Democracy House Mohamed Anil.

Speaker of Parliament, Abdulla Shahid, chief guest at the symposium, said in his speech that freedom of information is a concept alien to the local society. He said that it had traditionally been reserved for the privileged and powerful classes.

“Our society tended to make very deliberate demarcations between those who need to know, who should know and those who need not know,” he said, further adding, “I strongly believe access of information must be an indispensable part of any true democracy.”

Right to Information has been regulated in the Maldives from January 2009 under a presidential decree, following the failure to pass a similar bill in parliament in 2007. The current regulation covers only the ministries under the executive.

“In addition to the executive, the RTI Act should also cover the parliament, the judiciary, the independent institutions, the state companies, NGOs and utility companies,” said Rasheed in his speech.

He also added that there should not be “unnecessary obstacles” for information seekers, and that there should not be “blanket secrecy” granted to any institution.

A new RTI Bill was submitted to parliament in November 2009, which has since been pending at the Social Affairs Committee. Speaking at Monday’s symposium, Shahid said that Chair of the Social Affairs Committee had assured him that he was “very hopeful” the bill would be adopted before the end of the year.

In addition to conducting the symposium, Transparency Maldives has previously coordinated trainings on RTI for civil society and media, produced a critique of the RTI Bill at the Parliament’s Social Affairs Committee and received endorsements for their position on RTI from the Anti Corruption Commission, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, the Auditor General and the Ministry of Human Rights and Gender.

The NGO has also stated that it further intends to conduct workshops on RTI in 13 atolls and to assist in the establishment of a system through information technology which aims to increase convenience for the public in obtaining information from the state.

Minivan News tried contacting Chair of the Social Affairs Committee PPM MP Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed and Co-Chair DRP MP Hassan Latheef, but neither was responding to calls at the time of press.

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Parliament approves ambassadors to China, India, Australia and Philippines

Parliament approved ambassadors to India and China as well as a non-resident ambassador to Australia and the Philippines at today’s sitting of the People’s Majlis, following evaluation of the nominees by the National Security committee.

Mohamed Naseer, of M. Funfini, Male’, was approved as ambassador to India with 50 votes in favour, two against and one abstention while Mohamed Rasheed, of H. Carnationvilla, Male’, was approved as ambassador to China with 49 votes in favour and one against.

Current ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hussain Shihab, of M. Kali, Male’, was approved as the non-resident ambassador to Australia and the Philippines with 49 votes in favour and three against while current ambassador to the United States, Hassan Sareer, M. West Side, Male’, was approved as the permanent representative to the UN with 52 votes in favour and two against.

Both ambassadors will continue to serve in their previous capacities in addition to the new roles.

At today’s sitting, MPs also voted unanimously to accept an amendment to the Public Finance Act proposed by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Rozaina Adam stipulating that the state budget must be submitted to parliament two months ahead of the end of the financial year.

Following the vote to accept the legislation after preliminary debates, the amendment bill was sent to the Economic Affairs Committee for further review.

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Rising oil price forces STELCO to call in US$10 million in unpaid government bills

Chief Technical Officer of the State Electricity Company (STELCO) Dr Zaid Mohamed has said that the problem of state run companies not paying their electricity bills is a long term one, made more urgent by recent rises in the price of oil.

“This problem has gone for a long time – a couple of years but lately the bills have been getting higher,” said Zaid.

Zaid said that the recent rise in fuel prices was beginning to threaten the company’s ability to operate and so the board made the decision to disconnect certain companies.

The most recent figures from the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) show the price of crude oil to have risen 9 percent in the last month and 6 percent between August 2011 and August 2012.

STELCO has since started discussions with the government to resolve the issue.

“We have payments to make to our suppliers,” said Zaid, who was reluctant to discuss individual clients while the company was holding discussions with the government.

However, local media reported earlier this week that STELCO had sent staff to both the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and the headquarters of Malé City Council (MCC) to disconnect their electricity.

MCC councillor Kareem told Minivan News that the money had now been sent to the finance ministry.

MBC have released a statement blaming the government for a lack of financial assistance resulting in the possible suspension of its services – Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VOM), reported Haveeru.

The statement added that it had received warnings for non-payment of bills from several other service providers.

“The average monthly revenue of this corporation during the year has been MVR1.6 million. Due to the highlighted financial difficulties most services and other items had been sought on credit,” the statement was reported to have read.

Minivan News was unable to obtain comment from the Finance Ministry regarding this matter at the time of press.

Haveeru reported that STELCO was owed MVR7.1 million (US$460,000) and MVR6.8 million (US$440,000) by MBC and the MCC, respectively.

The paper discovered that STELCO is owed MVR150 million (US$10 million) from various state institutions, including the Malé Health Service Corporation (MHSC), the police and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

Oil dependency

The Maldives dependency on oil was discussed yesterday by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan at the World Energy Forum in Dubai.

“A development path primarily based on expensive diesel generated electricity is unsustainable in any country, let alone a small country like Maldives,” said Waheed at the forum’s opening ceremony.

“Today, we spend the equivalent of 20 percent of our GDP on diesel for electricity and transportation. We have already reached the point where the current expenditure on oil has become an obstacle to economic growth and development,” he continued.

President Waheed explained that the current price of 35-70 US cents per KW hour meant that the government was being forced to provide “heavy subsidies” to consumers, giving little option but to move towards a low carbon alternative.

The Maldives Energy Authority recently announced that its US$138 million project would convert ten islands within the country entirely to renewable energy with 30 percent of the total energy demands of a further 30 islands provided from renewable sources.

“Under this strategy, through installation of up to 27 megawatts of renewable electricity, we will be saving on the use of 22 million liters of diesel per year and reduce up to 65,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year,” Waheed explained in Dubai.

“In addition we will be making significant savings from the heavy fuel and other electricity usage subsidies that are currently in place,” he added.

“We are mindful that these programmes cannot be implemented without the engagement of the private sector. In order to make the investment environment more favorable for the private investors, a number of attractive financial guarantee instruments and measures will be adopted.”

Some of the key behind the Scaling-Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP) for the former government said earlier this year that the project had fallen through after political instability following February’s controversial transfer of power had deterred potential investors in the scheme.

The SREP plan revealed the scale of the problem: “If the oil price rises to $150/bbl by 2020, and consumption grows by four percent per annum, oil imports are expected to reach around US$700 million.”

This figure equates to around US$700 million or almost US$2,000 per head of population, whose per capita income – based on the most recent government figures – is just under US$4000.

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Gangs thriving amid political instability, political support: Guardian

Political turmoil in the Maldives is fueling gang violence and criminal impunity, reports the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

The gangs are thriving not only because of the drug trade, but due to political parties employing gang members to assault opponents, destroy property, and boost numbers at rallies.

“It’s been a good few months. We’ve been doing well,” one gang leader told Guardian journalist Jason Burke, revealing that the gang had been “providing political parties with muscle to intimidate opponents, swell meetings and provide security.”

“There’s so much demand, we’ve had to appoint someone just to run that side of our operations. Requests are coming in all the time,” the gang leader told the newspaper.

According to the Guardian’s report, “Ibrahim’s outfit of more than 70 members works around the clock, trafficking heroin, enforcing its territory and carrying out what he calls ‘political work’. Ibrahim asks for MVR 10,000 (US$650) for 10 of his gang members to attend a demonstration for an hour. The rate charged for roughing up a political opponent – damaging his car or house – is between MVR 25,000 and MVR 50,000 (US$1650-3250), but for a stabbing the price would be much higher: US$25,000 at least.

“It’s not bad, enough to pay our expenses for a month,” Ibrahim told the paper.

The newspaper noted that corruption meant that “police officers can easily be persuaded to ‘lose’ evidence and judges can be bought off. Nor is prison much of a deterrent. Phones, cigarettes, DVDs, ‘anything except women’ is easily available,” the gang leader informed the paper.

The Guardian’s article echoes the findings of a report into the Maldives’ gangs by the Asia Foundation, published last month, which revealed that politicians and businessmen are paying gangs tens of thousands of rufiya to assault rivals, damage property, and in some cases have them killed.

“Political and business elites exploit gangs to carry out a range of illegal activities that serve their political or business interests in exchange for financing the gangs,” stated the report, which collected data through 20 focus groups and 24 in-depth interviews with gang members.

Politicians are described as being involved in symbiotic relationships with gangs, who depend on the gangs to suppress opponents and carry out tasks to help maintain their popularity or to divert media attention from political issues.

“Politicians have asked us to cut the TVM cable for MVR 25,000 (US$1620), to light up a bus for MVR 10,000 (US$650). Also in the recent political riots we were involved in things like burning the garbage collection area,” said one gang member.

“We were given some amount of money, two of us and the 10 people who accompanied us were paid some amount, we had to set fire and run from the spot and be seen in another area. We got paid to do this by a political group. Sometimes in return for the work we do, we also get to party in their safari boats with girls and alcohol,” they added.

In other cases, gang members were paid MVR 20,000 (US$1230) to destroy shop windows. Interviewees also stated that being offered immunity from prosecution was normally part of this deal.

Leaders, who deal directly with the politicians, were reported as earning up to MVR 1 million (US$65,000) a month via such activities.

One member even described instances where murder contracts were handed out.

“We may be given a file with all the information about the person and be told and told we may be paid in millions to carry out the killing,” explained one member.

The gang leader who spoke to the Guardian said that he had made enough money and was now looking for a quieter life: “I’m not sure where I’ll go. Maybe [Sri] Lanka. Maybe India. Out of here anyway,” he told the paper.

“People around the world [need] to know how things are here. This is a paradise, but not everyone is an angel. Things have gone this far because of politics,” he said.

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High Court orders man who swindled Swiss woman to pay back MVR 5.4 million

The High Court has dismissed an appeal and ordered a Maldivian national to pay back MVR 5.4 million (US$350,000) he took from a Swiss woman after promising to marry her.

In June, the Civil Court ordered a man identified by the court as Ibrahim Ali to pay the Swiss woman the money after he was found guilty of swindling it from her.

The Swiss woman alleged that Ibrahim had taken money from her on several occasions in large sums, and had promised that he would marry her.

She also told the court that Ibrahim had told her that he was single, but that she had later found out that he was married and had children.

The Civil Court ruling ordered Ibrahim to pay back US$58,800, 7,000 euros and 252,196.95 Swiss francs he had taken from The Swiss woman since 2007.

The court also ordered Ibrahim to pay back a sum of MVR 1,500 (US$ 97.27) in legal fees and 2,420 Swiss Francs in bank transfer charges.

Ibrahim however appealed the Civil Court’s verdict at the High Court.

In the appeal, Ibrahim argued that the Civil Court had failed to establish that the sum of money had to be paid back, or that the money he received was by his request.

He also contended that the Civil Court had failed to prove that the money was deposited in return for his agreement to marry the Swiss woman, and argued that there was no legal basis for the court to order him to reimburse the plaintiff.

However, the High Court in its ruling on Sunday upheld the Civil Court’s decision and stated that documents presented to the court clearly implied that there were money transfers taking place since 2007.

The ruling further stated that the Swiss woman had said in court that she had sent the money because Ibrahim had told her that he was unmarried.

In its ruling the High Court stated that Ibrahim had build a house from the money he had fraudulently collected, which was also built  on the understanding that he would marry the Swiss woman.

Ibrahim was not present at the hearings, and the three-judge panel issued the verdict in absentia.

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