Month: March 2014

Anti-trafficking conference concludes in Malé

A regional anti-human trafficking conference titled ‘Consultation to promote sub-regional collaboration on combating trafficking in persons’, held in Malé has concluded.

The conference – inaugurated by the Minister for Economic Development Mohamed Saeed – was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration Sri Lanka’s Solidarity Center, reports Sun Online.

The conference was attended by representatives from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Dr Ahmed Al Hashemi, Director of Middle East Centre for Training and Development is reported to have provided a presentation detailing how the UAE has employed a number of anti-trafficking mechanisms including electronic salary transfers and the establishment of specialist anti-trafficking committees within government departments.

The Maldives passed its first anti-trafficking legislation in December, defining the practice as a crime for the first time. The country had previously been placed on the US State Department’s Tier 2 Watch List for human trafficking for four years in a row, with suggestions that it could move to the third tier failing steps to address the issue.

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MNDF searches for missing Dhuvaafaru boat passenger

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has launched a search operation for man who went missing during a boat journey between the capital Malé and Dhuvaafaru, in Raa atoll, on Friday.

Mohamed Shaneez, 36, is reported to have last been seen between 2:45am and 3am on Saturday, with fellow passengers only noticing his absence when the boat arrived in Dhuvaafaru at 9am.

The boat made a 6am stop at Maakurathu island, with conflicting media reports as to whether the Shaneez was still on board at this point.

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Taxis notified to fit vacancy signs by April 15

The Transport Authority of Maldives has notified taxis to place a sign on top of the car to indicate vacancy to passengers before April 15 2014, reported local media Sun Online.

“The light-up taxi boards have to fit the authority’s standards. Places producing or selling these taxi boards will have a special permit issued by this authority,” Sun Online reported the authority as saying.

Taxi regulations, published on 16 December 2013, imposed fixed taxi fees of MVR25 per trip between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. and MVR30 per trip between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

In addition to these regulations, taxi drivers are obligated to have on display their name and the contact details of their taxi centres.

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Man arrested after trying to escape from courtroom window

A man who was taken to Criminal Court for a hearing to extend his detainment period has been arrested on Saturday (March 29) after he tried to escape by jumping out of a second floor window.

Local media outlet Haveeru reported that the Criminal Court identified the man as Hassan Nashid from Gaafu Alif atoll Dhevvadhoo. He was a suspect in a drug-related case, according to the court.

The man reportedly tried to escape after the court had extended his custody by five days. After jumping out the window, the man landed near the vehicle in which he was brought in, and was immediately apprehended by the police who were standing nearby.

According to Haveeru, police said that the man is now under their custody, but declined to comment on the injuries he had sustained from jumping through the window.

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Two more MPs-elect switch to Progressive Party of Maldives

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP-elect for Thaa Thimarafushi, Mohamed Musthafa, along with independent MP-elect for Haa Alif Dhidhoo, Abdul Latheef Mohamed, have joined the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

The new signings brings the number of PPM MPs in the 18th People’s Majlis to 37, and the number of Progressive Coalition MPs to 57 with five from the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and 15 from the Jumhooree Party (JP).

Abdul Latheef Mohamed defeated incumbent JP MP Ahmed Sameer in the March 22 polls with 40 percent of the vote while Musthafa won against incumbent PPM MP Ahmed Shareef Adam with a margin of nine votes.

Musthafa and Abdul Latheef signed their membership forms in the presence of PPM leader, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, at a ceremony this afternoon in Nasandhuraa Palace Hotel.

Gayoom later tweeted: “PPM now has 37 seats in Majlis n our Coalition 57- a two-thirds majority. What an impressive achievement!”

President Abdulla Yameen, Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb, and Defence Minister Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim were also in attendance.

Musthafa told the press at the ceremony that he believed the government could develop the nation in the current climate of peace and stability.

Musthafa tweeted yesterday that he could not remain in parliament “making idle chatter” to the detriment of his constituents.

His first priority as an MP was the nation, followed by the constituency, and then political party, Musthafa tweeted.

“I’m MP elected to represent Thimarafushi [and] Veymando constituents. I will fight for them disregarding the politics they stand for,” he tweeted on March 24.

Speaker’s post

Meanwhile, of the five independent MPs-elect, three have now signed for the ruling PPM – including Naifaru MP-elect Ahmed Shiyam and Mahibadhoo MP-elect Mohamed Thoriq ‘Tom’.

Today’s signings follow friction in the coalition over the post of speaker of parliament. In the wake of JP leader Gasim Ibrahim’s announcement that he would seek the post, the PPM declared that it would nominate one of its MPs for speaker.

Following the polls, Gasim accused coalition party members of costing his party almost a third of the seats it had contested.

Other disgruntled JP candidates accused the PPM of attempting to “destroy” its coalition partner, suggesting that PPM members masquerading as independents actively campaigned against Gasim’s party.

With the addition of two more MPs-elect, the PPM and coalition partner MDA are presently just one vote short of the 43 simple majority without the JP.

Aside from the two remaining independents and the Adhaalath Party MP-elect for Haa Dhaal Makunudhoo, Anara Naeem, the opposition MDP has 25 MPs-elect.

Speaking to Minivan News today, MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said that the coalition was “obviously split on the question of the speaker.”

“They are not making a secret out of it,” he observed.

Hamid said Musthafa’s defection was “widely anticipated by a lot of MDP members”.

“We are currently in a settling down period. Obviously there will be candidates whose independence is compromised. What happens in this country is that their [candidates] capability to stand independently is compromised and they bow to coercion and pressure” he said.

“Another one bites the bite,” he added.

Hamid also suggested that the MDP’s primaries to select parliamentary candidates were “obviously flawed.”

“This doesn’t lend much credibility to the process. There was a lot of ‘branch stacking’ – a process where parties get candidates to sign for another party to influence their primary votes,” he explained.

Musthafa won the MDP primary for the Thimarafushi constituency against lawyer Abdulla Shairu, a member of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s legal team.

MP Musthafa

Musthafa was elected to the 17th People’s Majlis on an MDP ticket after beating Gassan Maumoon, son of former President Gayoom.

The High Court however annulled the results of two ballot boxes and ordered a revote after Gassan alleged widespread intimidation and irregularities in the poll.

The presiding judge in the three-judge High Court panel was Judge Ali Hameed, who was subsequently appointed to the Supreme Court bench.

Upon winning the revote, Musthafa described Gayoom as “the most brutal leader in the past 100 years.” He went on to severely criticise the former president in parliamentary debates.

In July 2010, Musthafa was arrested together with Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim for allegedly bribing MPs and a Civil Court judge.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed however ordered police to release the pair, ruling that there were no reasonable grounds to grant an extension of pre-trial detention.

The pair were accused of offering US$6,000 as well as a return ticket for an overseas trip to a civil court judge to allegedly influence an ongoing case.

In March 2011, a phone conversation between Musthafa and Nazim surfaced in social media, implicating the MDP MP in secret deals with then-Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.

Musthafa is heard claiming in the leaked recording that Thasmeen offered financial assistance to his campaign in 2009.

On February 20, 2012 – less than two weeks after the controversial transfer of presidential power – the Supreme Court stripped MP Musthafa of his seat over a decreed debt.

Musthafa lost the subsequent by-election in the Thimarafushi constituency to PPM candidate Shareef.

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“Utilise these calm times to prepare for future challenges,” President Yameen tells police

President Abdulla Yameen has called on the police to not consider the current peaceful atmosphere in the country as a “permanent stability” although peace has been established after months of turmoil.

Speaking as guest of honour at the police force’s 81st anniversary celebrations, Yameen called on the police to prepare to for any challenges that may come their way in the near future, saying times of stability are the best times for forces to prepare for war.

“We should not delude ourselves into thinking that what we are experiencing today is a permanent state of stability. I appeal to the respectable police and your leaders to utilise these calm times to prepare for future challenges that may come your way,” he stated.

He went on to say that crime cannot be fought by the efforts of the police alone, and that together with the efforts of the police, the judicial process also needs to be expedited in criminal cases. He said that despite the police’s best efforts, results cannot be reaped unless the judicial branch cooperates with the efforts.

“If this is not done, regardless of how courageous the police force is, people will not have faith that there can be justice and stability amongst us,” the president said.

The Human Rights Commission’s (HRCM) annual report for 2013 recommended reform of the judiciary after it had received complaints reporting the slow speed at which cases are attended to by the courts in addition to the failure to take action against judges accused of misconduct.

“In my administration, I want the police to be seen by the public as responsible professionals who are skilled in the work they do,” continued Yameen.

“The police’s duty is today is not to protect merciless leaders. Instead, it is to serve humanity. The police are a force which saves lives and respects human rights. A force which protects people’s property from being harmed. A force which protects the society from harm,” he said.

Along the same lines as the words of his cabinet minister for home affairs, the president warned against harming police officers, stating the current government would not tolerate such acts.

“Police must always be accountable. There are also entities tasked with oversight of the police’s work. Police work will be criticised at times, and that, in the end, is something that the media must do. However, no one should resort to harming police officers. This government will never tolerate such acts,” he stated.

“I would like to happily inform all police officers that this government has submitted amendments to the Penal Code to parliament, on the passing of which, severe punishments will be dealt out to people to commit such acts. As the Penal Code gets revised, individuals who harass the police and those who cause harm to officers on duty will face strict punishments,” Yameen revealed.

The president went on to assure the police officers that the current government is also mindful of police welfare, pledging to attempt to find better housing for them.

He further pledged to provide technology and facilities needed to further develop the force. He asserted that police are trained not just with the objective of making them strong physically, but also to develop their minds to a capacity where they can be watchful over the three powers of the state.

“The people we have to face will not be patient persons, however they are Maldivians in whose service we remain. They will come to us with complaints.”

“They will be upset and angry when they come. However, police officers must remain patient and communicate diplomatically and manage things sincerely. The police are a force which remains in service of humanity,” Yameen advised the gathered officers.

A patient approach to those in police detention was also urged by the police commissioner last week after the HRCM’s report had noted a rise in mistreatment of those in police custody.

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Parliament extends Generals Regulations Act

Parliament has approved an extension to the General Regulations Act for a further one-year period.

The General Regulations Act was passed in late 2008 as a parent legislation for over 80 regulations without a statutory basis when the new constitution was adopted.

Article 271 of the constitution states, “Regulations derive their authority from laws passed by the People’s Majlis pursuant to which they are enacted and are enforceable pursuant to such lawful authority.”

The parent act prolonged the lifespan of the regulations – which did not derive authority from an act of parliament – until new legislation such as a Criminal Procedures Act and Evidence Act could be passed.

Parliament has since been periodically extending the General Regulations Act with a further extension of one year approved today with unanimous consent.

The 42 regulations (Dhivehi) in the law includes rules governing trial procedures, criminal and civil justice procedures, defamation cases, the insurance industry, finance leasing transactions, ports, telecommunications, business registration, operation of clinics, issuance of national identity cards, medicine, importation of animals and birds, and desalination.

Regulations governing the parole programme as well as prisons were omitted from the law following the enactment of the Jails and Parole Act this year.

A bill on the legal profession is meanwhile in the government’s legislative agenda (Dhivehi), to be submitted during the second session of the People’s Majlis for 2014.

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STO’s Hulhumalé hotel to be completed in one year

The State Trading Organisation (STO) – Maldives’ primary wholesaler – has told local media that the five-star hotel it is developing in Hulhumalé will be fully completed in 12 months’ time.

Managing Director Ali Azim told Sun Online that he expected some rooms to be completed and available for use by January 2015.

The original contract for the development of the 250-room Radisson Blu Hotel was signed between the STO and the US Carlson Group.

Financial constraints delayed the start of the project until 2011, while the STO signed a US$32 million syndicated loan agreement in October 2012 to finance the development.

Full speed has been resumed on the construction after a further slowdown last year, Azim told Sun.

In 2012, then STO MD Shahid Ali told local media that the organisation needed at least “at least three resorts and one hotel” to meet its demand for foreign currency at a time the country was facing a ongoing dollar shortage.

“We are trying to a find a way to earn the foreign currency we need without relying on another party for it,” Shahid told Haveeru.

The Maldives grapples with a foreign currency deficit due to a heavy import-export imbalance. Goods from overseas must be purchased with foreign currency, but the Maldives has little ability to earn this outside the resort industry, which is thought to account for around 90 percent of the country’s foreign exchanges.

Since that time, new President Abdulla Yameen – who replaced Shahid soon after assuming office – has declared the STO bankrupt.

“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,” said Yameen last November.

The STO sparked fears of an impending oil shortage crisis in early November, after Shahid warned the company would run out of oil in a matter of days 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.

After his appointment as MD, Ali Azim announced plans to cut operational costs by MVR 50 million in 2014 (US$ 3,242,542).

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Commissioner and home minister voice concerns about difficulties facing police

Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed has stated that the police are facing difficulties in providing services due to the lack of sufficient resources.

Speaking at the 81st police anniversary celebrations held on Sunday night, Waheed opined that there is a need to revise the services of the police as the criminal environment has changed and is now inclusive of crimes involving increasingly dangerous weapons.

“We are seeing the use of swords, knives, and machetes in the crime scenes and this is something we must keep in our highest consideration when we are bringing changes to the police services,” he said.

He noted that in addition to not having suitable weapons and equipment to use for defence, the force also did not have vehicles or basic equipment like computers in some islands.

“It is proof of the high regard police officers give to national service when it is on their own private motorcycles that they go to major crime scenes, and do patrolling,” he said.

He said that the damage caused by “a group of citizens who destroyed and damaged police property during the events of February 8, 2012” have still not been overcome.

Home minister welcomes constructive criticism

Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer responded to Waheed’s claims during the same event, stating that the incumbent government will ensure that the damage caused during the events of February 2012 is repaired.

The minister further stated that the work of the police is a matter that is often criticised by the public, alleging that every such criticism results in being taken as encouragement by criminals. He stated that the current government will not allow any persons to incite hatred and mistrust against the police force.

“Due to the free and open media of today, it is possible to closely observe the work of the police and criticise it. The police will always welcome constructive criticism, and bring changes in their light. The police are not a force that will resist positive change,” the minister stated.

“However, there are some instances where in the guise of such criticism, hatred is incited against the police force. My wish is that no persons take things to this level. This is because every news or every comment presented in a manner that creates hatred against the police proves to be encouragement for criminals to commit further crimes,” he continued.

Minister Naseer revealed that in 2011, 60 police vehicles were damaged, while in 2012, 166 vehicles were damaged. In the last year, another 49 vehicles were damaged by members of the public.

“The question is, whose property is being damaged here? It is in fact property brought from the money of Maldivian citizens to provide a service to the same Maldivian citizens. People need to realise this,” he said.

Commissioner Waheed further said that the lack of a suitable training institution for police officers also presented additional challenges.

The commissioner also called on the newly elected 18th parliament to expedite the pending bills concerning the police, noting that the lack of required legislation proves to be another obstacle in reaching their goals.

Fighting crime

Despite revealing the challenges faced by the police force, the commissioner asserted that the force will be working tirelessly to fight crime, and will be willing to make whatever sacrifice is required of them in the fight against the drug trade.

He stated that those involved in the trade will be brought to justice adding that, if need be, officers will be deployed abroad for this purpose. He noted that the discovery in early March of the 24 kilos of narcotics that were being smuggled into the country was an exemplary operation.

The commissioner assured that police will not hesitate to bring to justice any persons who break the law, regardless of their status -whether they are powerful politicians, wealthy individuals, or otherwise powerful persons.

Nevertheless, the commissioner said that in order to become free from the problem of drugs, all citizens need to cooperate sincerely with reintroducing addicts into society.

He further referred to the recently unearthed cases of possession of illegal and dangerous animals, stating that the police will, in the near future, uncover the tactics used by smugglers of such animals and bring it to an end.

He then stated that it is crucial to bring an end to serious and organized crimes, saying that doing so is necessary to strengthen the country’s economy.

Home Minister Umar Naseer also added that the current government intends to introduce police services to every single inhabited island in the Maldives.

Both Naseer and Waheed noted the economic benefits that would accompany a reduction in organised crime.

“Although sometimes, it gives rise to international criticism when a country is seen as a place where laws are implemented, implementation of laws is necessary to increase investor confidence,” said Naseer.

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