Police have arrested two persons in connection with a case where two men sexually abused a minor, filmed her and then leaked the video online.
According to the police the case was reported on August 20, 2013.
Police stated that the pair were both aged 27 and were arrested on 24 August while on the island of Naifaru in Lhaviyani Atoll.
Naifaru Magistrate Court has extended their detention period to 15 days.
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(0)Click to visit Maldives Decides 2013
Minivan News has launched ‘Maldives Decides 2013’, a hub of content concerning the four candidates competing in the 2013 presidential election.
Each candidate’s entry includes an overview of their recent political history with extensive links to relevant articles published by Minivan News, an overview of their policy positions, and a brief analysis of their support base.
The hub also includes an unofficial poll, links to Minivan News’ ongoing election coverage, and resources provided by the Maldives Elections Commission.
Additionally, all candidates have been sent and invited to respond to the following 10 questions, which will be published unedited as received:
Minivan News hopes ‘Maldives Decides 2013’ is of value to its readers, and looks forward to a free, fair and inclusive election on September 7.
Feel free to discuss this project below, or send enquiries directly to [email protected]
(0)Dislikes(0)The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has decided to reject a proposed no-confidence motion against its Chair, Supreme Court Justice Adam Mohamed, filed by commission member Shuaib Abdul Rahman.
Rahman – the public’s nominee to the commission – told Minivan News last week that he had attempted to file the no-confidence motion against Adam Mohamed contending that he was responsible for the judicial watchdog‘s “state of limbo”.
Rahman further accused Mohamed of failing to back the JSC’s investigation of Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed’s sex-tape scandal, and abusing power to release press statements on behalf of the commission.
Rahman alleged Adam Mohamed had deliberately refused to table the no-confidence motion against him during last week’s commission meeting.
“When I first filed the motion, the Secretary General of the Commission said he could only table the motion with a proper reason. Then I told him all the reasons as why the motion should be filed. But still Adam Mohamed refused to table the motion. Now he has unofficially said that he would table the motion on Monday,” Rahman said.
In a letter sent to Rahman by the JSC, signed by the Secretary General of the Commission, the JSC claimed that the Judicial Service Commission Act – JSC’s parent legislation – did not allow the filing of no-confidence motions against its Chair and Vice Chair.
Therefore, the proposition of a no-confidence motion is not allowed as per section 10 of the Judicial Service Commission Act, the letter claimed.
Following the dismissal of his motion, Rahman told local media today (August 26) that would file the matter with both the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) and parliament’s Independent Institutions Oversight Committee.
Speaking to local media outlet CNM, Rahman claimed that a decision by the commission to reject his motion should only be decided by the majority of the commission members, and that Adam Mohamed did not have the discretionary power to dismiss the motion.
He also said that the section 17 of the same act required all members to refrain from conflict of interest, contending that Adam Mohamed could not dismiss the motion while it involved his own interests.
Therefore, Rahman contested that Adam Mohamed had misused his powers as the Chair of JSC which amounted to corrupt practice, falling within the ambit of the ACC.
“[Adam Mohamed] has acted like this every time. Cases that need to be given priority, including the case of recent statement issued by Supreme Court [regarding the appointment of the CSC member], have been withheld because he has an interest in it. That is something that the JSC should prioritise,” he told CNM.
The JSC has meanwhile refused to comment on the matter.
(0)Dislikes(0)The second round of training for police’s quick response teams for handling the peace in Male’ has concluded.
The teams, who are charged with maintaining peace and stability during next month’s presidential elections, underwent special training between August 17 and 10.
Forty police officers participated in second program, the police said, after 20 completed the first section of training in June.
In what has been dubbed Operation Blue Waves, additional officers are currently being posted throughout the atolls to ensure calm during the election period.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) has condemned death threats against state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM) Deputy Editor Aishath Leeza Laurella.
The presenter had been the subject of criticism from certain political groups over the past week after a series of programmes interviewing the candidates of next month’s presidential election.
After the ‘siyaasath’ (policy) show’s inaugural interview with Jumhoree Party (JP) candidate Ibrahim Gasim, party officials accused the presenter of attempting to “demean” its candidate.
In a statement issued today, the MJA said that giving death threats because of the questions asked by a journalist or television presenter is not acceptable and slammed it as an act to terminate press freedom in the country.
The MJA called on the police to hasten the investigation of the case and stated that the interviews with the presidential candidates represented important work done by the media.
Police media officials today told Minivan News that a case was filed with police by Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) alleging that a group of people were plotting an attack on Leeza, posing a threat to her life.
The official explained that the investigation of the case was ongoing and that no arrests had yet been made. He declined to provide further information beyond this.
TVM is scheduled to televise a four-way presidential debate on September 1. Gasim’s JP yesterday confirmed that their candidate would be taking part, after suggestions he was considering a boycott of the station.
Press Freedom
In February this year, Leeza and a second TVM journalist were hospitalised after being hit by projectiles containing some kind of irritant which local media reported to be paint thinner.
On the same evening, Ibrahim ‘Aswad’ Waheed – a reporter for private broadcaster Raajje TV – was left in a critical condition after being badly beaten by two men using iron bars in Male’.
In mid-2012, controversial blogger Hilath Rasheed had his throat slashed in an alleyway on Chandhanee Magu.
Rasheed was initially given a five percent chance of survival, but later recovered. He has since fled the country. No arrests were made in the case.
The Maldives plummeted to 103rd in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index for 2013, a fall of 30 places and a return to pre-2008 levels.
The Paris-based organisation included ‘extremist religious groups’ in the Maldives in its ‘Predators of Freedom of Information’ report for 2013.
The 2013 report accused “leaders and members of fanatical groups in the Maldives” of “intimidating media organisations and bloggers and threatening them with physical harm in order to force them to exercise self-censorship.”
TVM was itself the scene of violence during the chaos surrounding former President Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation on February 7, 2012. The gates of the station – known as the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) prior to the transfer of power – were broken down by rampaging security forces.
“A policeman shouted that we [MNBC] have brought enough of what government wanted. Now its time for them to broadcast what they want,” recalled one staff member.
The employee said that they were then ordered to patch through the Villa Television (VTV) channel, owned by JP leader Gasim. The nation then watched VTV on the state television’s frequency before the feed was cut off and came back on, re-branded as TVM.
VTV soon became the victim of further violence as opponents of current president, Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, attacked the station’s studios during unrest surrounding the attempted re-opening of parliament.
(0)Dislikes(0)The High Court has ordered the arrest of the manager of Guraidhoo island’s (Thaa Atoll) state-owned utilities company.
Fenaka Corporation employee Ahmed Fuad was previously arrested in connection with two cases of child sex abuse but was released by Thimarafushi Magistrate Court when brought before the judges to extend his detention period.
A police media official today said that the case was appealed at the High Court after Thimarafushi Magistrate Court ordered his release.
‘’Yesterday the High Court cancelled the release order and issued an arrest warrant and extended his detention period to 15 days for investigation,’’ police media officer said.
“He was arrested at about 3:05pm yesterday,’’ the officer continued.
At the time he was arrested police told the media that the charges related to charges of molesting two minors, a male and a female aged 13 and 17.
Local media outlet Sun Online reported police as telling the paper that the two minors had testified against the accused during the hearing held to extend his detention period in Thimarafushi Magistrate Court.
Local newspaper ‘Haveeru’ reported that the victims are believed to have been in the guardianship of Fuad, who was also reported as being a senior activist in the government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
(0)Dislikes(0)The Finance Ministry has said it has managed to reduce state spending over the last twelve months, despite the Maldives central bank raising fears over the current “beyond appropriate” levels of government expenditure.
Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad has told Minivan News yesterday that efforts had been successful over the last twelve months to curb recurrent government expenditure, while its borrowing had at the same time remained consistent.
According to Jihad, the government’s decision in April to suspend state-financed development projects had also helped to curb outgoings as the country looks to secure foreign finance for the purpose of budget support.
“We have had difficulties this year with spending, so we have taken these initiatives,” he said.
The suspension of development projects was taken after the state was found to have exhausted its annual budget for recurrent expenditure (including salaries, allowances and administration costs) in the first quarter of 2013
The decision was made in same month that currency reserves in the Maldives were found to have “dwindled to critical levels”, according to the World Bank’s bi-annual South Asia Economic Focus report.
State borrowing
Jihad said that state borrowing had remained consistent over the last year, after the Waheed administration had paid back US$100 million in treasury bonds to Indian authorities by a requested date of February 2013.
Earlier this month, President Waheed pledged that the country would be in a position to restart development projects next year as a result of his government repaying bills incurred through the previous administration’s borrowing.
While President Waheed had previously said he would not resort to borrowing from foreign governments in order to finance his administration, Jihad today confirmed the state was “moving ahead” with efforts to secure credit from overseas sources in Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.
Earlier this month, the government requested parliament approve a US$29.4 million loan from the Bank of Ceylon to finance the 2013 budget approved by parliament.
In July, the President’s Office confirmed that discussions had been held with Saudi Arabia seeking a long-term, low interest credit facility of US$300 million to help overcome the “fiscal problems” facing the nation.
Parliamentary approval would be required for the credit facility before it could be obtained by the government, Jihad added.
Vicious cycle
Governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) Dr Fazeel Najeeb (August 23) was quoted in local media as warning that “excessive” government expenditure was directly responsible for the country’s present economic issues.
Speaking during a function to celebrate three years since the formation of the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), Dr Najeeb claimed that increased government expenditure required large amount of loans that would put the country in a vicious lending cycle.
He also expressed concern at a perceived slow down in the country’s private sector and bank investments increasingly in government Treasury Bills (T-bills).
“The value of Rufiyaa is dropping because government accounts do not have the money, because it is a necessity to print large quantities of money,” he was quoting as saying by Sun Online.
Najeeb said that a long-term economic stability plan would be needed in the country as part of attempts to increase foreign investment, reduce inflation, and curb printing of the Maldivian Rufiyaa in order to calm an increase in prices.
“The plan shall include new foreign investments, aim to reduce inflation, decrease the printing of money and cease it altogether. This will decrease the pressure on the Rufiyaa”.
Minivan News was awaiting a response from Dr Najeeb at time of press.
Waheed Administration’s spending
In July 2012, the Finance Ministry instructed all government offices to reduce their budgets by 15 percent, with only 14 of 35 offices complying by the given deadline.
However, the Finance Ministry in the same month announced its intention to reimburse civil servants for the amount deducted from their salaries in 2010 as part of the previous government’s austerity measures.
The deducted amounts, totaling MVR443.7 million (US$28.8 million), were to be paid back in monthly instalments starting immediately.
Meanwhile, the original budget proposed by the state for 2013 had also included salary increases for military and police officers as well as plans to hire 800 new officers for the security services.
Combined with the transfer of about 5,400 employees in the health sector to the civil service, some MPs at the time estimated that the state wage bill would shoot up by 37 percent.
Parliament eventually passed a MVR15.3 billion (US$992 million) state budget on December 27 last year, after it was reduced by more than MVR1 billion (US$64.8 million) from the MVR16.9 billion (US$1 billion) proposal previously submitted by the Finance Minister.
(0)Dislikes(0)An elections security expert being provided by the Commonwealth to consult on strategies for maintaining law and order during next month’s presidential polls has met with Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz in Male’ yesterday (August 25).
Police confirmed today that the Commonwealth Secretariat has assigned Eldred de Klerk to assist with ensuring election security was in line with “international best practices”, following a request by the institution for assistance.
With voting scheduled to commence on September 7, de Klerk met commissioner Riyaz yesterday to discuss his consultancy role.
The Commonwealth announced last week that Former Prime Minister of Malta Dr Lawrence Gonzi would serve as the head of a 17 member group of election observers representing the intergovernmental organisation. The group will be arriving in the Maldives later this month.
The group, constituted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, is mandated to “observe and consider all aspects of the electoral process” on September 7 to ensure it is held in compliance to agreed standards for fair polling.
(0)Dislikes(0)Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) Spokesperson and MP Ahmed Mahloof has stated that the party is confident of winning the September 7 presidential election unless there are “major incidents” on the day.
The party’s biggest concern was the chance that a large part of the electorate registered in polling stations other than those at their permanent residences may be denied the right to vote, he said.
“We are confident that unless such a problem arises, or some major incidents are carried out on voting day, we can smoothly win the elections even if things carry on as now,” Mahloof continued.
“Honestly, what worries us is that thousands from the electorate may be unable to cast their votes. However, the Election Commission (EC)’s Vice President [Ahmed] Fayaz has assured us at the last meeting we had that the EC will ensure no more than 50 people will be unable to vote due to any complications that may arise from re-registration,” he stated at a press conference held today (August 26).
Fayaz today suggested that the PPM’s concerns may have resulted from them “somehow misquoting” what he had said to them during an informal meeting.
Mahloof said although the party accepted that a low number of persons may be unable to vote due to unavoidable complications that may arise on election day, he felt it was better to air any concerns prior to polling day.
“This country needs peace and calm. There will never be peace in this country if the day after the elections, a group comes out again, expressing dissatisfaction with the results, and commits arson and assaults,” Mahloof said.
Mahloof declared that the PPM’s weekly survey showed the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was rapidly losing the support it had previously had.
The PPM poll currently predicts the PPM will receive 46% of the votes, the MDP 29%, the Jumhooree Party (JP) coalition 18%, and President Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ihthihaad Party (GIP) just 7%.
“If we consider the number of votes, MDP gets about 63,000 votes, PPM gets 103,000 votes, JP will get about 39,600 votes, and it looks like GIP will get approximately 15,000 votes,” he revealed.
Mahloof claimed that these sudden changes in survey figures were a result of the electorate becoming aware of the policies of different candidates through various televised interviews.
Mahloof went on to suggest that a drop in support may have been behind the MDP’s decision not to compete in Saturday’s (August 24) council by election held in the island of Nolhivaram in Haa Dhaal Atoll.
“There are some very active and courageous MDP activists in that island, and yet the party head office in Male’ didn’t dare contest as it might expose the lack of support the party has now,” he alleged.
“We’re democratic, unlike the PPM”: MDP
Responding to Mahloof’s allegations, MDP spokesperson and MP Imthiyaz Fahmy stated that his party refused to take part in any election if it could not democratically select a candidate.
“With the presidential elections this close, that is our main focus. We do not have time to hold primaries for a post in local councils that will only last for the next four months, as holding primaries is itself time consuming,” Fahmy said.
Fahmy also dismissed the PPM’s survey as “baseless”, saying that few Maldivians were even aware of such a poll.
“It’s easy to come out with poll results ‘conducted’ by themselves and announce a clear win, but it’s absolutely baseless. No surveys have thus far been conducted in the country with the oversight of an independent body.”
“All the candidates have at one point or another agreed that MDP is leading the race. The debate they engage in is about which of them will come second in the elections. MDP has garnered even more support as more people are becoming aware of our policies,” Fahmy said.
“MDP wishes to engage in competitive multi-party politics, and to contest in a free and fair competitive election. We are not the ones with a culture of attempting to win elections through bribery, vote-rigging or influencing the authorities,” Fahmy stated.
“Look at the allegations PPM is levying against the EC… we suspect that they are voicing so many complaints about the EC now only because the commission is standing as a barrier between them and some underhand plans they may be cooking up,” Fahmy alleged.
PPM is aiming to create unrest, discord: JP Coalition
JP Spokesperson Moosa Ramiz meanwhile alleged that PPM press conferences were often used for “fear-mongering”, aiming to “create discord and unrest.
“Although they’re working under a different name now – from DRP [Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party] to PPM – these are the same people who threw balls of fire at crowds and created havoc in 2008,” Ramiz continued.
“Mahloof’s statement saying ‘unless ‘huge incidents’ occur seems like a forecast they are giving, possibly meaning that if they lose, they will create unrest. That’s how we interpret it.”
“As for those polls and surveys they speak of, we do not accept those results at all. They are just saying whatever works in their benefit, probably without even having actually conducted any research,” Ramiz said.
“Although [Abdulla] Yameen appears to be the PPM candidate, it is actually [former President and PPM Leader Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom] who is doing the campaigning, and Maumoon who will be in pulling the strings. And we know who Maumoon is. He has remained two-faced, both when in power and now. He will appear all sincere and benevolent, but will be burning inside. Even now, with this survey, we see his habits on display, the habit of working in the interests of nepotism, doing whatever will benefit him, his family and those he considers ‘close’ to him,” Ramiz stated.
Ramiz further argued it was unbelievable that the PPM could gather that much support from the public, suggesting that the public had no trust in Yameen, and that his running mate – Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed – was a man “full of nothing but envy.”
“Jameel’s always throwing a fit, loudly proclaiming to put all his competition in jail for long term, or to flog someone, or to amputate someone, or something of this sort. He’s another man that the public no longer accept in the political arena. The poll they speak of is a farce. How can they have such support with men like this,” asked Ramiz.
“Insha allah, the elections may turn out exactly opposite from what they have predicted,” he added.
Gaumee Ithihad Party (GIP) Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza was not responding to calls at the time of press.
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