Month: November 2013

MP Imthiyaz Fahmy charged with contempt of court under expired regulation

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Imthiyaz ‘Inthi’ Fahmy is being tried for contempt of court under a regulation that expired in 2011, the MP’s lawyer Masthoor Husny has said during a Criminal Court hearing today.

The Prosecutor General’s Office is charging Fahmy for comments criticizing the Supreme Court during a Raajje TV program called “Fala Suruhee” (Headlines).

Police have asked the PG to try MDP MPs Alhan Fahmy, Mohamed ‘Bonda’ Rasheed, Ali Waheed and ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik on the same charges.

Husny cited Article 19 and 59 of the Constitution ratified in 2008 which states that a citizen is free to engage in any conduct or activity that is not expressly prohibited by Islamic Shariah or by law and states that no person shall be found guilty of any act or omission.

The regulation criminalising contempt of court was to expire with the ratification of the new constitution.

But the People’s Majlis voted at the time to extend the validity of several regulations until the government is able to submit new laws that are streamlined under the new constitution.

However, in 2011, when the regulations were up for yearly review, the Majlis failed to extend the validity of the regulation criminalising contempt of court.

The hearing was adjourned today when the state prosecutor requested more time to review the matter.

Meanwhile, MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor has returned home after four weeks of refuge inside the People’s Majlis to evade Criminal Court summons issued in violation of the Parliamentary Privileges and Powers Act.

The Criminal Court then sentenced Hamid to six months in jail in absentia for disobedience to order.

The MDP had pledged to ‘clean the judiciary’ following a series of sex tapes in which Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed appears to be having sex with several foreign women in a Colombo hotel room.

The MDP has also condemned a series of controversial Supreme Court rulings annulling the first round of presidential elections held on September 7 and the stripping of parliamentary seats of MDP MP Ali Azim and MDP aligned DRP’s Mohamed Nashiz.

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Two arrested for stealing laptop and cash

A 21 and 24 year-old have been arrested by the Maldivian Police Service (MPS) on suspicion of stealing a laptop and cash, Sun Online reports.

A laptop and MVR 100 000 were burgled from a house on Kunahandhoo in Laamu atoll on Friday afternoon.

The suspects were arrested during the subsequent manhunt.

Both were arrested on Laamu Kunahandhoo

Maldives Police Service has arrested two individuals on suspicion of stealing a laptop and a large amount of cash from a house in Laamu Kunahandhoo yesterday afternoon.

Police revealed one individual as a 21-year-old and the other a 24-year-old, and said both have records of theft and robbery.

The two people were arrested during a manhunt for suspects. They are suspected of stealing a total of MVR 100,000 in cash, in addition to the laptop.

The 21 year old individual was arrested today and the 24 year old early this morning, police said. Both men were arrested under court warrants in Laamu Kunahandhoo.

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State Trading Organisation bankrupt: President Yameen

The State Trading Organisation (STO) is bankrupt, President Abdulla Yameen revealed at a rally in Hulhumale on Friday night, according to local media reports.

The state-owned STO is the country’s primary wholesaler, responsible for bringing in the vast majority of basic foodstuffs such as rice and flour, as well as other imported commodities such as electrical goods.

It also imports the vast majority of the Maldives’ oil, used to fuel fishing and transport vessels, diesel generators, air-conditioners and water desalination plants.

The STO sparked fears of an impending oil shortage crisis in early November, after then Managing Director Shahid Ali warned the company would run out of oil as early as November 10 if it did not pay some of its US$20 million debt to suppliers.

Shahid told an emergency meeting of parliament that government-owned companies had failed to pay the STO the almost US$40 million it was owed, and appealed to the central bank to use the foreign currency reserves to bail it out of its debt.

Central bank governor Fazeel Najeeb meanwhile warned that currency reserves were dwindling, and the state was on the verge of having to print money.

Speaking during Friday’s rally, President Yameen said “not only does STO not have dollars, it does not have Maldivian Rufiyaa either. Funding the oil import through STO is now a burden for the state.”

“I checked today where STO is now. By the time I left STO, the company had developed many commercial projects and STO was making MVR 154 million in profit. Today, STO is bankrupt. I am telling you, it is bankrupt. STO does not have money,” said Yameen, who chaired the organisation during the rule of his half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Impact

The tourism industry is generally insulated from Maldives’ financial woes by virtue of operating a separate dollar economy – a practice technically illegal under the country’s monetary regulations, but which reduces the industry’s exposure to the rufiya as well as rendering it unexchangable and creating a foreign currency shortage for local people.

However the tourism industry – indirectly responsible for up to 70 percent of the country’s GDP and up to 90 percent of its foreign exchange – is unable to import oil and other commodities independently and therefore is exposed to any supply shortages experienced by local suppliers of commodities such as oil.

In June 2013 resort operators and businesses across the country were forced to dramatically alter menus and even temporarily close entire restaurants after weeks of disruptions to the supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

The general manager of one property told Minivan News at the time that the LPG shortage had created a “food and beverage nightmare” that lasted three weeks, while some restaurants in Male were forced to temporarily close.

One of President Yameen’s early acts in office was to replace Shahid Ali as head of the STO with Adam Azim, brother of Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim.

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Four passengers detained for threatening to hijack plane

Four passengers who were to board a flight operated by local airline operator Flyme have been detained by the Aviation Security Command (AVC) for allegedly threatening to hijack the plane.

According to local media reports, the incident occurred last Saturday evening around 7:00pm at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) while passengers were boarding Flyme’s scheduled flight from INIA to Laamu Atoll Kadhdhoo domestic airport.

A police media official confirmed to Minivan News that such a case was investigated but said that the police had not made any arrests regarding the matter.

“The Aviation Security Command did not mention the issue was of serious concern. There is no reason to detain them and investigate. So we did not arrest them,” the official told Minivan News.

Flyme is an airline operated under resort tycoon-turned-politician Gasim Ibrahim’s Villa Group which  began its operations on October 1, 2011, with the opening of Gasim’s and the Maldives’ first private airport in Alif Dhaal atoll Maamigili Island.

The Head of Aviation Security Command Colonel Mohamed Ziyad told local newspaper Haveeru that the four passengers had given out a false threat in a bid to express their frustration over the delay in boarding the passengers to the flight.

“[Regardless of accuracy of such threats] we are obliged to take action. That is because, as per aviation regulations no passenger or any one for that matter, can make such threatening remarks. If anyone gives such an alarm, we have to take action. That person would not be allowed to board the flight and will be handed over to police,” Colonel Ziyad was quoted on Haveeru.

“We are at the moment trying to compile their statements. After that we will hand them over to police.”

However, an official from Flyme told local media outlet Sun Online that the four passengers had threatened to hijack the flight.

“While the passengers were boarding the flight, some individuals threatened the officials about hijacking the plane. So due to those threats we had to hand them over to the police,” the official told Sun Online.

He added that the incident had now been resolved although the flight had been delayed for about 45 minutes due to the incident.

Minivan News tried contacting Flyme’s media official Ahmed Shareef and Head of Aviation Security Command Colonel Mohamed Ziyad, but were not responding to calls at time of press.

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New High Commissioner to Malaysia nominated

Mohamed Fayaz, former deputy police commissioner, was nominated by President Abdulla Yameen as the Maldivian High Commissioner to Malaysia on Sunday.

Haveeru Online reports that President Yameen is seeking approval for the appointment in the People’s Majlis.

Fayaz is currently the Minister for Home and State Affairs.

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EU congratulates Maldives on election

The European Union (EU) released a statement on Thursday urging all Maldivian political parties to work together for the betterment of the country.

Catherine Ashton, the EU’s High Representative, warned of both economic and environmental challenges ahead.

“The EU expects all political parties to put personal and ideological rivalries aside and work together to confront the serious economic and environmental challenges which the country faces,” she said.

Aston further congratulated the Maldives on its “commitment to democracy” and constitution, crediting the professionalism of the Electoral Commission.

The EU had earlier threatened “appropriate measures” against the Maldives in response to the annulments and delays of the electoral process.

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High Court overrules prison sentence of island chief

Nolhivaram Ali Rasheed Hussain, former island chief of Nolhivaram in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, has had his prison sentence revoked by the High Court, Sun Online reports.

Hussain was convicted in 2012 of embezzling MVr 3600 of State finances.

He was sentenced to two years and six months by the Nolhivaram Magistrate Court.

The High Court ruled on Wednesday that, as the Nolhivaram Magistrate Court had failed to produce the paperwork requested by Hussain during the trial, the sentence was null.

Furthermore, court minutes suggest that Hussain was denied the constitutional right to cross-examine the witnesses against him.

The vote to annul was unanimous.

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Names of five cabinet appointees sent to parliament for approval

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has sent the names of five cabinet appointees to parliament for approval.

President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz told local media that the president had sent the names of the first five appointees to the cabinet.

The five Ministers are Minister of Defense and National Security Retired Colonel Mohamed Nazim, Minister of Finance and Treasury Abdulla Jihad, Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture Ahmed Adheeb, Minister of Transport and Communication Ameen Ibrahim and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon.

“The government will send the names of other members of the cabinet very soon,” Muaz said.

After assuming power, President Yameen appointed a cabinet consisting of fifteen cabinet ministers.

All Ministers are constitutionally required to be approved by parliament in order to permanently remain in their positions as per the article 129(c) of the Constitution.

Furthermore, a Supreme Court ruling in December 2010 – made in response to requests from then-opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) MPs – overturned then President Mohamed Nasheed’s argument that the provision was “ceremonial”, forcing him to replace seven of his cabinet ministers.

According the President’s Office Spokesperson Muaz, the president is expected to hold his first cabinet meeting this week.

President Yameen’s cabinet:

  • Minister of Defense and National Security, Retired Colonel Mohamed Nazim
  • Minister of Finance and Treasury, Abdulla Jihad
  • Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Adheeb (PPM)
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dunya Maumoon (PPM)
  • Minister of Transport and Communication, Ameen Ibrahim (Jumhoree Party)
  • Minister of Home Affairs, Umar Naseer
  • Minister of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed (Adhaalath Party)
  • Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Mohamed Muiz (Adhaalath Party)
  • Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr Mohamed Shainy
  • Minister of Economic Development, Mohamed Saeed (Jumhoree Party)
  • Minister of Environment and Energy, Thoriq Ibrahim
  • Minister of Education, Dr Aishath Shiham (PPM)
  • Minister of Health and Gender, Dr Mariyam Shakeela
  • Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal (PPM)
  • Attorney General Mohamed Anil
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MNDF searching for lost fishing boat

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) is searching for the fishing boat “Kanduroadhi” after it was reported missing 54 nautical miles east of Fahala in Thaa Atoll on Thursday around 8:00pm, reports Sun Online.

The MNDF described the missing boat at 75 feet long, dark blue on the sides and orange on top with a white shelter in the middle of the vessel.

Anyone with information on the missing vessel should contract the MNDF on 191 or 3395981.

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