Day: March 17, 2014

Innamaadhoo island council asks Islamic Ministry to take action against Sheikh Shameem

Innamaadhoo island council, in Raa Atoll, has filed a complaint with the Islamic Ministry against Sheikh Ibrahim Shameem Adam after he allegedly preached inside the island’s Friday Mosque without first obtaining permission.

Speaking to Minivan News today Council President Ibrahim Fayaz said that Sheikh Shameem went to the island last Saturday and requested the council’s permission.

Before receiving a response from authorities, however, Shameem held a sermon on the island, said Fayaz.

“They announced that there will be a sermon that night on the topic of sports and entertainment and held the sermon without our permission and we did not do anything about it because then they say Innamaadhoo council had obstructed religious activities and that we are anti-Islamic,’’ he said.

He said that the first 50 minutes of the speech was very good before beginning to resemble a political campaign meeting.

“He started talking about politics and the upcoming parliament elections and people inside the mosque came out, only a few were waiting inside,’’ Fayaz said.

“More than 200 people gathered outside the mosque in protest to the speech he was giving because it was supposed to be a religious sermon and not a political rally.’’

Fayaz said that islanders came and complained to the council, warning that if the council was not able to stop him the islanders might have to do it.

“So I then went inside and turned the loudspeaker and microphone off, but he did not stop,’’ he said.

“I asked him who gave him the permission to conduct a sermon inside the mosque and he replied by saying that the ‘Higher Authorities’ gave him permission. I do not know who higher authorities were.’’

Political sermons

Fayaz said that Shameem indirectly criticised both Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Progressive Party of Maldives’ parliamentary candidates.

“He criticised them in a way that everyone knew who he was talking about, but did not mention the names,’’ he said. “We even called the police that night because there might have been unrest on the island – and five councilors will not be able to stop the islanders.’’

He said that police asked the council to take a statement from Sheikh Shameem, but that Shameem refused to come to answer questions.

Furthermore, Fayaz alleged that the Islamic Ministry would not take any action against him because he was sent by the Adhaalath Party.

Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed today told Minivan News that he had not received any information of the incident.

In December last year Omadhoo island council stopped Sheikh Shameem from delivering a religious lecture at the local mosque, fearing it might “disrupt the stability and social harmony of the island”.

At the time, Haveeru reported that when the council asked for a formal request for permission, the organisers sent a text message to the council president saying the lecture would go on with or without the council’s permission.

In May 2013 Sheikh Imran Abdulla and Sheikh Ilyas Hussein were obstructed from preaching in Vaikaradhoo, in Haa Dhaalu atoll, whilst Kamadhoo island council in Baa atoll prevented Sheikh Nasrulla Ali from preaching.

In Vaikaradhoo the sheikhs continued with police protection in the presence of local opposition activists.

In September 2013, Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Chairman Ibrahim Umar Manik told a parliamentary sub-committee that the commission had stopped religious sermon ‘Andhalus’ conducted by Sheikh Shameem for violating the state broadcaster’s guidelines.

The MBC chairman,along with members of the commission, were summoned before the independent institutions committee following complaints by MDP MPs that the sermon by Sheikh Shameem infringed the rights of the party’s presidential candidate.

“We definitely do not consider [televising the sermon] as anti-campaigning against a particular candidate using religion. [But] around 11:35pm, because his talk was changing a little, we stopped the live [broadcasting],” Manik told the parliament committee at the time.

Current laws and regulations require religious preachers to obtain permission from local councils in order to preach at mosques in their administrative areas.

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India declines invite to send observers for parliamentary polls

Due to election preparations in India itself, the country has chosen not to send a team of observers to the Maldives for the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 22.

“The Maldives Elections Commission had invited our Election Commission to observe the polls. But the Election Commission is very busy managing the current schedule, so we have declined,” the New India Express reported a senior government official from the country as having stated.

Officials at the Indian High Commission in Malé have confirmed that no observers will be sent, though it was pointed out that High Commission staff would be performing some observer functions.

Previously, India sent a high level delegation led by their former Chief Election Commissioners to the Maldives to observe 2013’s presidential election, with the first round – later annulled – given high praise by the observers.

A delegation of the European Union is currently in the country preparing to monitor the parliamentary elections.

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President replaces two members on MMA board of directors

President Abdulla Yameen has on Monday replaced two members on the board of directors of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

The representative of the Finance Ministry – the ministry’s permanent secretary – has been replaced with State Minister for Finance and Treasury Ahmed Munavvar.

Additionally, the private sector representative has also been changed. The seat formerly filled by Damas Company owner Mohamed Solih has been replaced with Inner Maldives Deputy Managing Director Abdulla Giyas Riyaz.

The remaining four positions on the board are filled by Deputy Governer Aishath Zahira, Assistant Governer Dr Azeema Adam, Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal and former Minister Hussain Hilmy.

While the MMA Governor is also mandated to be part of the board, the position still remains vacant after former Governor Fazeel Najeeb resigned from his position.

Dr Azeema’s name was given to the People’s Majlis last month as President Yameen’s nominee for the governor’s post after Ibthishama Ahmed Saeed – an associate director at the Bank of Maldives – had been forwarded for the role before withdrawing her name amid suggestions she was not qualified for the role.

Today’s reshuffle is the second round of changes that the current administration has brought to the MMA board since it assumed power in November 2013.

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Police Commissioner urges customs to stop import of illegal animals

Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed has told customs that police are spending as much time confiscating illegal animals as they are seizing drugs.

Waheed yesterday (16 March) met with Commissioner General of Customs Ahmed Mohamed and a delegation of senior customs official to discuss the increase in illegal animals being discovered during recent drug operations.

Commissioner Waheed told customs officials that in the past two weeks police have discovered illegal animals during special operations conducted to raid drug networks.

An illegal snake was also found on the streets on Male last week.

A police statement reported that Waheed told officials that citizens were now in constant fear, noting that the police do not have any role in the airports and other ports.

He also said that police now needed to conduct as many operations to confiscate illegal and dangerous animals as to curb drug related crimes.

Waheed requested that customs increase monitoring for illegal animals and also to increase people’s awareness on the issue.

He recommended customs issue an announcement calling for the surrender all such animals that anyone has to the customs department.

Customs officials – who have already promised to tighten regulations – told police that customs needed to increase screening and that those types of animals were smuggled in to the country after careful planning.

Customs officials also told police that the department currently has established procedures where bags and luggage of cargo boats crew members can be searched.

Officials noted, however, that not being able to give adequate punishment to people involved in this type of crime was an obstacle in curbing them.

Earlier this month police discovered a royal python – a nonvenomous snake commonly kept as a pet – following a drugs raid in Himmafushi, Kaafu atoll, on March 4.

In a separate raid on March 7 police also confiscated a Kingsnake and a Mexican red-kneed tarantula from a house in Malé.

A slow loris was also discovered by police in a drugs raid in Malé in Januray 21.  The species’ decline in numbers has been closely attributed to their unsustainable trade as exotic pets.

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Road Development Corporation purchased goods worth MVR2.2 million without bidding process, audit reveals

The Maldives Road Development Corporation (MRDC) purchased material worth MVR2.2 million (US$142,671) without a bidding process, the 2011 audit report (Dhivehi) of the 100 percent government-owned company made public last week has revealed.

Noting that the MRDC has not formulated procurement rules to date, Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim recommended drafting regulations in consultation with the Finance Ministry within a period of one month.

“As a large amount of the company’s money had been spent for various purpose without establishing sound rules, and as we believe the company’s board members have been negligent in carrying out their responsibility of protecting the company’s resources, action should be taken against [the board members] to hold them accountable,” the auditor general recommended.

The MRDC was formed in August 2010 by the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed to facilitate road construction under a sustainable business model.

As the company failed to compile its financial statement for 2011, the audit was based on a review of a sample of the MRDC’s business transactions as well as “problems related to performance and governance.”

In the absence of the financial statement, the report stated that the auditor general’s office was unable to assess the company’s financial health, assets, and the results achieved during the year.

The report further noted the lack of a mechanism to collect information required to compile the financial statement, adding that “basic documentation” of business transactions was not properly maintained.

The audit office recommended legal action against the officials responsible for failing to submit the financial statement for auditing as mandated by the company’s charter and the Company’s Act.

Moreover, as the MRDC had not maintained an updated registry of its assets, the report stated that auditors could not verify whether all assets purchased for the company’s purposes remained in its inventory.

The absence of an updated registry leaves open the opportunity to sell off the MRDC’s assets, the report noted.

The auditor general also recommended establishing a sound accounting system to record daily financial transactions.

While MVR175,039 (US$11,351) was spent in 2011 as overtime payments for staff, the report noted that auditors could not verify whether the payments were made for services received.

Moreover, upon scrutinising available financial records, auditors discovered that bills and invoices of materials sold by MRDC did not include purchase orders from customers while quotations sent to businesses were not authorised by senior officials.

The MRDC audit came on the heels of a damning report on the Works Corporations, which concluded that the government-owned corporation was mismanaged and had not served its purpose.

Of the 34 infrastructure projects awarded to the company, the report noted that only one had been completed.

Meanwhile, the audit report of the state-owned Waste Management Company released in December revealed that a board member had embezzled MVR610,000 (US$ 39,354) by doctoring cheques.

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Three companies contracted to supply generators for 77 islands

The state utilities company Fenaka Corporation has on Monday contracted three companies to procure generators for 77 islands under the government initiative to ensure that electricity services are available in islands around the clock.

The bid was won by Chinese company Fujiya Yanan, Sri Lankan company Kelani Cables, and local company Power Engineering.

Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim – who the government has tasked with oversight of the Fenaka Corporation – told local media that the agreement is to supply the generators by the end of July, and is estimated to be completed within a period of 80 days.

He further stated that installation of generators will proceed as the units are received.

“While this project is going on, we are also conducting other additional work. Under this, we are replacing small generators in islands with bigger ones. Additionally, electrification efforts, or work to strengthen networks, is also being conducted under the oversight of Fenaka,” Nazim is quoted as saying in local media.

While Nazim did not reveal which islands have been selected to receive the generators, he stated that the islands will be chosen after a survey is done to assess needs.

“We are acquiring generators of three different sizes. So we will discuss with suppliers, and announce islands as we receive generators,” he stated.

The generators will include 40 units of 160 to 200 kilowatt power, 24 units of 250 to 200 kilowatt power, and 13 units of 500 to 1000 kilowatt power.

The Chinese company is contracted to procure the generators for Us$5.9 million, while the Sri Lankan company will supply cables at US$2.2 million, and the Maldivian company will supply distribution boxes at US$1.1 million.

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Groom arrested for being in possession of narcotics

A man who had travelled to Hoarafushi in Haa Alif atoll to get married was arrested during his visit to the atoll for being in possession of narcotics.

The man – who was under island arrest in Malé under the state’s drug rehabilitation program – had gone to the island with a special permit from court for the purposes of getting married.

Police revealed that the 27 year old man was arrested in a boat travellling from Hoarafushi to Nolhivaram in Haa Dhaal Atoll.

The man is currently in custody at the Kulhudhuffushi police station, with the island’s magistrate court having extended his detention by 15 days.

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HRCM attends Juvenile Court after summons, agrees to cooperate with enquiry

The Juvenile Court has stated today that all five members of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) have complied with the court’s order and attended a meeting at the court this morning (March 17).

The order was sent after HRCM members had failed to attend two meetings requested by the court in recent weeks.

Juvenile Court Spokesperson Zaima Nasheed stated that the court was requesting the meetings in order to question the HRCM members about a confidential report that they shared with the court concerning the sentencing of a 15 year old rape victim to flogging and house arrest.

The court maintains that, although the HRCM has included in its report that the case was one of sexual assault and harassment, the court was in fact presiding over a case concerning the crime of consensual fornication.

Alleging that the HRCM included fabricated information in the report, the Juvenile Court spokesperson stated that the members had been summoned to a meeting, and not a court hearing.

“They [HRCM members] attended Monday’s meeting as though they were coming to a court hearing, complete with being accompanied by legal representation. It was not a hearing though, just a meeting held to clarify some issues,” Zaima stated.

Zaima said that the court requires all members of the HRCM to explain to the court’s panel of judges why “fabricated information was included in the report”, as well as “the reasoning behind the need to compile such a report”.

Zaima further revealed that HRCM President Mariyam Azra had requested that the commission be allowed to submit their answers to the court’s queries in writing.

The court refused this request, however, and insisted that the members attend meetings at the court in order to verbally respond to questions put to them by an assigned panel.

According to the Juvenile Court, the HRCM had initially objected to this, quoting Article 27(a) and 27 (b) of the Human Rights Commission Act.

Article 27 (a) states that “no criminal or civil suit shall be filed against the President or Vice President or a member of the Commission in relation to committing or omitting an act in good faith whilst undertaking responsibilities of the commission or exercising the powers of the Commission or the powers conferred to the Commission by a law”.

Additionally Article 27 (b) states “the Commission can only be questioned or a suit can be filed against the Commission in court regarding a component in a report published by the Commission following an inquiry, should sufficient evidence be available to prove the component is false”.

The court responded by quoting the same article, as well as Article 141(d) of the Maldives constitution, arguing that this made it obligatory for the HRCM to oblige with the questioning.

Article 141(d) of the constitution states that “persons or bodies performing public functions, through legislative and other measures, must assist and protect the courts to ensure the independence, eminence, dignity, impartiality, accessibility and effectiveness of the courts”.

The HRCM is then said to have agreed to cooperate, on account that it is given a period of ten days after the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 22 before the first questioning session.

Zaima then said that the court has agreed to grant the HRCM the requested period of time.

“We did this with consideration towards the work of the HRCM and the nature of this matter that we are looking into,” the Juvenile Court’s Spokesperson said.

HRCM member Jeehan Mahmoud stated that the HRCM was not prepared to comment on the matter at present.

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High Court issues injunction against Family Court order to return child to mother

The High Court has released a temporary injunction halting the implementation of a Family Court order asking a man to hand over his five month old baby to its Swiss mother.

The man has been identified by the police as Ahmed Sharuvan,  age 32, from Kanmatheege in Maradhoo in Seenu atoll. The information had been released when police launched a nationwide search for the man after he failed to comply with a Family Court order last week.

The superior court released the injunction after Sharuvan submitted an appeal in the court against the Family Court’s verdict.

The High Court injunction – signed by three judges – stated that the court believes it important to halt the Family Court order until after Sharuvan’s appeal has been completed.

Although the case’s first hearing was scheduled by the High Court for Sunday, it was later cancelled.

Sharuvan’s wife – identified in local media with only a first name, Tanya – also attended Sunday’s court hearing.

Sharuvan attended Sunday’s hearing at the scheduled time and was accompanied by a lawyer. Police began questioning him outside the court premises, with Sharuvan responding by showing the police the High Court’s temporary injunction.

In spite of this, police took Sharuvan to the police headquarters for further “discussions”.

“We did not have the jurisdiction to arrest him then due to the High Court injunction although we were previously looking for him,” a police media official told Minivan News today.

“So we requested him to come along with us to headquarters for further discussions and he obliged. We did not have the jurisdiction to directly question him, so we just held a discussion. He left the police premises directly after the discussion.”

Owing to the High Court injunction, police revealed that the baby remains in the custody of the father. They stated that the police cannot take any action on the matter until Sharuvan’s appeal case at the High Court reaches completion.

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