Month: June 2014

MDN to seek court order compelling JSC to reconsider Judge Hameed decision

The Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) is considering seeking a court order to compel the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to reconsider its decision to clear Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed Mohamed of misconduct over his alleged appearance in three sex tapes.

Citing lack of evidence and the police’s failure to identify the individual in the sex tapes, the judicial watchdog decided last week that disciplinary action could not be taken against Justice Hameed.

In a press release today, MDN expressed “surprise” at the JSC investigating the case as a criminal offence as the commission’s constitutional mandate was investigating complaints involving ethical misconduct.

MDN noted that the evidentiary requirements or standards applied for establishing guilt in a criminal case differed from cases of alleged ethical misconduct.

The JSC’s “confusion” on this legal principle “offers room for the public to question the competence of the commission,” the MDN stated, calling on the oversight body to reconsider the case.

In a press statement explaining its decision, the JSC had noted that the police had closed investigations until new evidence emerged and that the sex tapes had been collected during an investigation into an attempt to blackmail a judge.

Moreover, the tape may constitute an act of espionage as it appears to have been filmed by an unauthorised body and it is against the constitution to obtain evidence by unlawful means, the commission noted.

The JSC – chaired by Supreme Court Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla – also referred to a contentious Supreme Court’s ruling on former Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chair Mohamed Fahmy Hassan, which stated that disciplinary action could only be taken with sufficient evidence.

Local media has since reported that the decision to clear Justice Hameed was reached unanimously by six members on the 10-member commission after Shuaib Abdul Rahman – public representative on the JSC – walked out.

The six members were Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla, Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Didi, High Court Judge Abdulla Hameed, president’s member Mohamed Faisal and lawyers’ representative Ahmed Rasheed.

The two remaining members – CSC Chair Dr Mohamed Latheef and Attorney General Mohamed Anil – were reportedly on holiday.

“Permanent stain”

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) also put out a statement yesterday (June 29) condemning the JSC decision, characterising it as a “permanent stain” symbolising “serious wrongdoing”.

With the JSC decision, the statement added, Maldivian citizens expecting judicial reform have “lost all hope” along with any confidence in the judiciary.

The JSC decision has set a precedent suggesting that engaging in sexual relations with prostitutes, which is then made public in a sex tape, “is not a problem at all,” the opposition party stated.

“Therefore, we note with serious concern that this country’s judiciary would henceforth be shaped by those standards.”

The MDP statement also referred to a JSC subcommittee recommending suspending Ali Hameed, which the party stated was wilfully disregarded by the commission, as well as documents of a corruption case against the apex court judge being destroyed in a coffee spill.

The JSC had strayed from the standards established for investigating ethical misconduct, stalled the investigation for over a year, and “sacrificed the independence of the judiciary and the constitution” for the sake of protecting Justice Hameed, the statement continued.

The Maldivian judiciary should learn that disgraced judges accused of corruption and blackmail should be suspended pending the outcome of a swift investigation, the party stated.

The presence of a disgraced judge on the Supreme Court – who most citizens believe has lost his integrity – threatens the independence of the apex court, adversely affects decisions of lower courts, and robs Maldivian citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed right to a free and fair trial, concluded the party.

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MATATO backs guest house island policy

The Maldives Association of Travel and Tour Operators (MATATO) has endorsed the Thumburi guest house island project, urging its members to take part in the government’s plans.

“MATATO believes this will help target mass charter flights, rather than FIT [Fully Independent Traveller] or small groups, paving the way to bring back major charter operators to the Maldives,” said the group which represents over 50 local travel agents and tour operators.

Only Maldivians will be permitted to invest in such projects, the government has revealed, with priority given to those not yet involved in the industry.

“The concept is similar to the beach lodges in Phuket or Hikkaduwa. Thus, MATATO would like to urge its members to participate in this development opportunity, as it would allow them to grow from mere travel agency businesses to property owners within the process of vertical integration of a travel agency,” read an association press release.

The official launch of the scheme – part of President Abdulla Yameen’s election manifesto – came last week with a call for expressions of interest from small and medium businesses in the Laamu atoll development.

Envisioned as a way to “responsibly diversify the tourism product of the Maldives”, the plans to develop uninhabited guest house islands come after the rapid expansion of guest houses alongside local communities in the past five years.

Some in the industry have, however, questioned the schemes ability to offer the same level of benefit to local economies.

“The association believes this is a good project, worth our attention and promotion, although fine tuning will still be required, as this is a new concept to the Maldives,” said MATATO which also suggested its members could form a consortium for the project.

The Thumburi project will  make land available on the 17 hectare uninhabited island – as well as the linked Hulhiyandhoo island – for investors to develop hotels, a diving school, water sports centres, restaurants and shopping centres, while government owned companies will invest in the island’s basic infrastructure – electricity and sewage.

“Rather than seeking a large scale investment, the current scheme offers smaller investors an opportunity to invest only in specific sub products, or a small block of accommodation similar to that of investing in a guest house,” today’s MATATO press release continued.

Describing the project as “a new concept for a world class brand”, the Thumburi brochure reveals plans for several beach hotels with rooms ranging from US$100-200 – far less than that currently charged by the country’s budget resorts.

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation will lead the project and engage with investors who will then market their own products.

Contributing an estimated 80 percent of the Maldives’ GDP and famous worldwide for it’s luxury one island/one resort image, the country’s tourism industry attracted over one million visitors for the first time in 2013.

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Parliamentary debate begins on special economic zones bill

Preliminary debate on the government’s flagship special economic zones (SEZs) legislation began today with opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs warning that the envisaged law could turn the Maldives into a haven for “money laundering and washing black money.”

If the bill is passed into law, the government could hand out uninhabited islands or plots of land for periods, prices, and terms of its choosing without either parliamentary oversight or a role for local councils, contended MDP MP Ibrahim Shareef.

“The Maldives could become a machine for money laundering and turning black money white,” he added.

If the country becomes a money laundering destination for international criminal enterprises, Shareef warned that developed nations could impose sanctions on the Maldives.

Shareef also expressed concern with the impact of tax exemptions for investors in the SEZs on the local tourism industry.

Among other MDP MPs who spoke during the debate, MP Ahmed Nashid noted that the bill “supersedes” 14 other laws while MP Abdul Gafoor Moosa insisted that the legislation should be amended with the input of the main opposition party.

Speaking at an MDP gathering last week, former President Mohamed Nasheed had dubbed the SEZ legislation the “Artur Brothers bill,” referring to the infamous Armenians linked with money laundering and drug trafficking who made headlines in Maldivian media last year after they were photographed with cabinet ministers.

Nasheed claimed that the zones are intended for criminal activity, money laundering, gambling, and “other irreligious activities.”

The Maldivian government’s liaison officer in Addu during British occupation of Gan island had more authority and freedom than what the government would have in the SEZs, Nasheed contended.

Debate

Introducing the 70-page draft legislation (Dhivehi), MP Ahmed Nihan – parliamentary group leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) – stressed that the bill includes provisions for terminating agreements with investors if an act of corruption specified in the International Convention against Corruption is proved.

The MP for Vilimale’ appealed for “cooperation and assistance” from opposition MPs in reviewing the legislation and addressing shortcomings at the committee stage.

In the ensuing debate, Jumhooree Party (JP) MP Ibrahim Hassan declared support for the legislation but suggested that the power to form a board of investment to oversee the zones should not be vested solely with the president.

JP MP Moosa Nizar Ibrahim suggested that environmental and national security concerns should be addressed, while JP Deputy Leader Ilham Ahmed said the bill contained “serious problems.”

While supporting the “concept” of SEZs, Ilham expressed concern with the bill offering tax exemptions to investors for a 10-year period and allowing uninhabited islands to be leased without advance payments.

The government would not receive any revenue from investors during the 10-year period, he noted, while investors would enjoy subsidised staple foodstuffs.

Incentives

PPM MP Jameel Usman argued that the bill was intended to assure investor confidence and offer incentives to choose the Maldives over other developing economies in the region.

SEZs in the Dominican Republic and Philippines created thousands of jobs, noted PPM MP Abdulla Rifau, suggesting that new jobs for Maldivian youth would make up for lost tax revenue.

Moreover, the bill requires investors to carry out corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects, he added.

Incentives for investors offered in the bill include tax exemptions and relaxed regulations for employing foreign labour.

Investors would be exempted from paying either import duties for capital goods or business profit tax, goods and services tax and withholding tax.

Moreover, regulations on foreign workers would be relaxed while companies with foreign shareholders would be allowed to purchase land without paying privatisation fees or sales tax.

Geographical areas or regions declared an SEZ by the president would also be removed from the jurisdiction of local councils.

The nine SEZs envisioned in the bill includes an industrial estate zone, export processing zone, free trade zone, enterprise zone, free port zone, single factory export processing zone, offshore banking unit zone, offshore financial services centre zone, and a high technology park zone.

President Abdulla Yameen had declared in April that the SEZ bill would become “a landmark law” that would strengthen the country’s foreign investment regime.

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Three arrested for smoking in public during fasting hours

Three men were arrested yesterday (June 29) in the capital Malé for smoking in public during fasting hours on the first day of Ramadan, police have revealed.

While a 23-year-old man was caught smoking near the Raanbaa restaurant around 10:20am, a second 23-year-old was caught smoking near the Redwave Plaza around 11:50am.

The third suspect, aged 34, was caught smoking inside the public toilets near the fish market around 5:45pm.

Police noted that all three men had criminal records for drug abuse, assault, and robbery.

In January, the Criminal Court fined a man MVR150 for drinking a Coca-cola in public during fasting hours in the month of Ramadan in 2011.

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MP Musthafa donates flour, sugar, and rice to constituents

Ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) MP Mohamed Musthafa has donated a bag of rice, flour and sugar to every household in his constituency for Ramadan.

Musthafa told local media the MVR300,000 worth of donations was intended to help his constituents in Thimarafushi and Veymandoo Islands in Thaa Atoll.

“I do this every year. Before I gave them money. But this time instead of money, I gave them staples so they can use it for Ramadan,” Musthafa told Channel News Maldives (CNM).

He said a majority of Maldivians continue to live in poverty without basic necessities. MPs must take care of their constituents, he said.

Although the public think salaries and benefits of MPs to be excessive, “it is nothing compared to all that the [MPs] have to do,” Musthafa said adding that most MPs are not able to live on their salaries.

The monthly salary of a Maldivian MP is US$7,083 – a figure considerably higher than their counterparts in many developed countries.

Musthafa claimed an MP makes MVR3.5 million (US$22,6537) in each term and said “One has to spend much more than that to even get into the Majlis.”

MP for Thaa Atoll Guraidhoo, Hassan Manik Dhon Manik also donated staples to the needy in his constituency.

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Some schools ignore government’s Ramadan instructions

Some schools in have continued holding classes for grade 9 and under, despite instructions from the Education Minsitry to stop lessons during Ramadan, reports Haveeru.

Local teachers told Haveeru that extra classes have been arranged after consultations between parents and teachers amid fears that the extended break would prevent the completion of the syllabus.

Instances of classes continuing were reported in Gaafu Dhaalu and Lhaviyani atolls.

With less than seven days’ notice, the government last week announced that school sessions would not be held for students in grades 9 and under during the month of Ramadan.

The regulations also said that school sessions for grades 10 to 12 should begin after 9am and should last a duration of three hours per day.

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India provides 74 scholarships to Maldivian students

India will provide scholarships for 74 Maldivian nationals to study in India for the 2014-2015 academic year.

The scholarships will be provided under a number of different schemes including the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which involves all university level under-graduate and post-graduate courses in Arts, Science, Engineering, Commerce, Business Administration and Law.

The Indian High Commission in Malé has described the response to the offer as “overwhelming”:

“The grant of 39 scholarships every year to Maldivian students is an important positive step forward in strengthening and promoting our cultural ties with Maldives, and it also adds another new dimension to the already warm and friendly relations between the two countries, based on mutual trust and understanding,” read a high commission press release.

Noting the longstanding educational links between the two countries, the press release said that 5,530 Maldivians have now completed the Technology Adoption Project launched in 2011 – including 3.053 teacher certifications, 1,674 youth certifications, 803 in ICT related courses.

17 of the ICCR scholarships – which cover all expenses, including international air passages, board, lodging, and internal transport – have already been awarded, with the rest currently being processed.

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Fisheries minister to appear before Majlis for questioning

The minister of fisheries and agriculture has been summoned to the People’s Majlis to answer questions regarding government policy in Addu City, local media has reported.

Dr Mohamed Shainee is said to be appearing upon request of the Maldivian Democratic Party MP for Addu-Meedhoo Rozaina Adam, who also summoned the housing minister for similar questions last week.

The 2008 constitution empowers any member of the Majlis to summon any member of the government or cabinet to parliament for questioning, although the appearance of the Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz last week was the first such instance in more than two years.

The opposition expressed concern regarding the Majlis’ oversight capabilities after disputes over the composition of key standing committees, although a compromise was reached last week.

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Preparations conclude for the start of Ramadan

Today marks the first official day of Ramadan in the Maldives following the conclusion of final preparations for the month of fasting and prayer.

After the anticipated sighting of the new crescent moon did not come on Friday as expected, the Islamic Ministry announced that Sunday (June 29) was considered to be Ramadan 1 in the Hijra year 1435.

The start of festivities also began at midnight across much of the world, with Yemen reported to be the only country to have started celebrations on Saturday.

President Abdulla Yameen has called on Maldivians to observe the period with piety, encouraging the performance of pious deeds and virtuous duties.

In a statement released by the President’s Office, Yameen noted Maldivians’ preservation of the Islamic faith, appealing to all to continue this tradition over the next 30 days.

The government’s efforts to assist with preparations were also acknowledged by Yameen, with a number of temporary and refurbished mosques having opened in recent days.

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed was in attendance at the reopening of the Al-Furqan mosque on Friday after six years of construction and multiple delays. The mosque is reported to be the most expensive in the country’s history, at MVR21 million (US$1.3 million).

Speaking at the opening ceremony for new mosque – capable of facilitating 3000 people – Jameel urged Islamic scholars to uphold the country’s Islamic identity by presenting it in a way comprehensible to the nation’s substantial youth population.

Local media have also reported the opening of a temporary mosque in Maafannu to compensate for the recently demolished Fandiyaaru Mosque. The Maldives National Defence Force completed the mosque – with capacity for 800 people – in just 14 days, reported Sun Online.

After initial fears regarding funding, the Islamic Minsistry announced the release of MVR800,000 to Malé City Council for repairs to 22 mosques. Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has pledged to spend MVR10 million on mosque repair for Ramadan.

Additionally, President Yameen has pledged to reduce waiting times for the overburdened Malé-Hulhumalé ferry to just 10 minutes while state utilities company Fenaka is said to have pledged interrupted power supply to all islands this month.

Working times for the Maldives’ 25,000 civil servants have been reduced to the hours between 10am and 2pm after local women’s rights NGO Hope for Women had argued the previous arrangement allowed insufficient time for women’s increased domestic workload during the month.

Meanwhile, the government announced that schools would be closed for grade 9 and below throughout the month, while class times will be reduced for other age groups.

Haveeru has also reported a reduction in the price of a number of basic commodities at the local market, as well as the opening of an additional fresh market in the capital.

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