Day: October 6, 2014

Criminal Court releases suspect in Rilwan disappearance

No additional reporting by missing journalist Ahmed Rilwan

The Criminal Court yesterday released one of four suspects arrested in connection with the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

A police media official confirmed to Minivan News today that the court released the suspect after he was taken before a judge for extension of remand detention.

The court ordered a second suspect to be placed under house arrest for five days, the media official explained, and granted extensions of seven days and 10 days respectively for the two remaining suspects.

On September 28, police arrested three suspects – two 22-year-old men and one 24-year-old man – on suspicion of involvement in Rilwan’s disappearance. The Criminal Court extended the detention of the 22-year-old pair for five days and the 24-year-old man for seven days.

The court granted a five-day extension of remand detention for a fourth suspect arrested on September 29.

Rilwan has been missing for 59 days and is believed to have been abducted at knife point outside his apartment building in Hulhumalé around 2:00am on August 8.

In a press statement on Thursday (October 2), Rilwan’s family called on the police “respectfully” to share findings of the investigation and update the family, friends and wider public on progress made so far.

“Every day and night that passes without the truth of the case being revealed is filled with questions, anxiety, and deep sadness for the family,” the statement read.

The delay in providing answers to the public creates fear and anxiety in society as well as despair over personal safety, it added.

The statement concluded with an appeal to include Rilwan in prayers offered during the Hajj pilgrimage and Eid al-Adha period.

Following the arrests last week, both Rilwan’s family and human rights NGO Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) welcomed the “progress in the police investigation” and offered its support.

“The Criminal Court’s extension of their detention signifies progress in the investigation,” said MDN.

However, the police have yet to offer possible theories or lines of inquiry being followed in the investigation, noting on September 15 that no “conclusive evidence” has been found between Rilwan’s disappearance and a reported abduction outside his apartment building.

MDN released an investigation report last month implicating radicalised gangs in Rilwan’s suspected abduction.

The investigation report by Glasgow-based Athena Security confirmed evidence of possible “hostile surveillance” of Rilwan at the Hulhumalé ferry terminal in Malé conducted by two known affiliates of Malé-based Kuda Henveiru gang. One of the suspects is identified as Ahmed Shiran Saeed.

Minivan News understands Shiran is currently in police custody for unrelated charges.

Citing the abduction of several young men in June by a vigilante group in a push to identify online activists advocating secularism or professing atheism, the report said gang activity in Rilwan’s abduction was a “strong possibility”.

The report noted increased radical activity among members of three main gangs in Malé – Bosnia, Kuda Henveiru, and Buru – and claimed members had participated in attacks against individuals they deem “un-Islamic”.

Rilwan had “regularly received clear threats to his life” for his outspoken criticism of religious extremists, the report said.

One man named in the report, vandalised Minivan News’ security camera on Thursday (September 25) shortly before two others buried a machete in the building’s door.

A Minivan News journalist received death threats shortly thereafter, which read, “You will be killed or disappeared next. Watch out.”

While police arrested a 32-year-old suspect Thursday night on charges of stealing the security camera – clearly identifiable on the CCTV footage – the Criminal Court released the suspect with conditions the following day.

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MIFCO yellow fin tuna receives Friends of the Sea eco-label

No additional reporting by missing journalist Ahmed Rilwan

The state-owned Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company’s (MIFCO) hand line fleet has received certification from the NGO Friends of the Sea, a leading international certification project for products from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

The certification “authorises the tuna processor and exporter to carry the eco-label for yellowfin tuna from its certified vessels operating in the Western Indian Ocean,” Undercurrent News reported on Friday (October 3).

“Friend of the Sea audit requirements are very strict so we are proud to have obtained the certification,” MIFCO CEO Adhly Ismail was quoted as saying.

“We will continue to rely on Friend of the Sea to increase the number of certified vessels.”

Last week, sustainable fisheries consultants MacAlister Elliott & Partners trained and appointed a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) auditor in the Maldives.

The auditor, Seema Ali, will specialise in MSC assessment programmes, awarding sustainable fisheries certification to local companies in a move aimed to support employment in the Maldives.

The Maldives’ skipjack tuna fisheries industry received the MSC certification in 2012 for its low-impact pole-and-line technique where each wild fish is caught individually to reduce by-catch.

MSC Chain of Custody (CoC) surveillance audits of the Maldives skipjack tuna industry were conducted recently by Kat Collinson of MacAlister Elliott.

CoC standards for seafood traceability ensures the MSC eco-label is only displayed on seafood from sustainable sources, explained MacAlister Elliott.

The Maldivian fishing industry has declined in recent years, falling behind tourism and construction as the country’s third-largest industry.

While approximately 185,000 tonnes of fish were caught in 2006, the number had dropped to about 70,000 tonnes in 2011.

According to the latest monthly economic review from the Maldives Monetary Authority, fish purchases in August 2014 rose compared to the previous month and stood at 2,457.2 metric tonnes.

“However, a 48% decline was recorded compared to the corresponding period of 2013,” the central bank explained.

“In August 2014, both the volume and earnings from fish export fell compared to the corresponding month of 2013. As such, the volume of fish exports fell by 56%, while the earnings on fish exports declined by 48% during this period. The decline in the volume and earnings of fi sh exports was contributed mainly by the fall in export of frozen skipjack tuna.”

During the past five years, the value of the nation’s fisheries industry declined from MVR489 million (US$31.7 million) to MVR321 million (US$20.8 million) with a corresponding fall of 3.3 percent of the economy to 1.1 percent in 2012.

UK Supermarket chain Sainsbury announced earlier this year that it had introduced the country’s first certified sustainable tuna sandwich using the MSC eco-label.

“By choosing tuna from the Maldives tuna fishery, Sainsbury’s is supporting artisanal fishermen who have made an international difference to the way the Indian Ocean fishery is managed,” the Marine Steward Council’s Senior Country Manager Toby Middleton said in May.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs recently started awarding halal certification to local fisheries companies in order to open up Islamic markets for export.

The move followed notification from the European Union that extension of the duty-free status of imported fish from the Maldives would be rejected due to he country’s failure to comply with international conventions concerning freedom of religion.

The Maldives exports 40 percent of its US$100 million fishing industry to the EU, its single largest export partner by value.

Maldives’ Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shafeeu said the government’s application for a year’s extension under the ‘GSP Plus’ programme was declined as it had not ratified all 27 required international conventions.

He warned that the sudden imposing of a 14- 20 percent duty on fish imports would lose the Maldives its competitive advantage over the larger fishing fleets of nearby Sri Lanka and Thailand, and reduce profits to “a marginal value.”

Until January 2014, fish exports were duty-free under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) program, a non-reciprocal trade agreement extended to developing countries.

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US naval ship to visit Maldives

A United States naval ship is due to visit the Maldives in mid-October as part of a routine patrol of the Indian Ocean, the US embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka has said.

The USS Rodney M. Davis is “an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate with the U.S. 7th Fleet”, the embassy explained in a press release.

The ship’s officers and crew are expected to work with the Maldives National Defence Force, including its coast guard, “to improve regional security through close communication, coordination and information exchanges, while supporting at-sea and ashore training opportunities.”

“It will be tremendously beneficial to build on our excellent relationships with the maritime nations of the Indian Ocean,” the press release quoted Vice Admiral Robert Thomas, Commander US 7th Fleet, as saying.

“The area is critical to regional security, and the partnerships we build with this training will go a long way to creating a more professional and stable maritime environment.”

“My crew and I are excited to visit the Maldives,” said Commander Todd Whalen, commanding officer of the Rodney M. Davis, expressing gratitude to the Maldivian government for the opportunity to visit the country.

“We are grateful for the chance to make new friends and work with our counterparts in the Maldivian National Defence Forces.”

According to the embassy, “the Rodney M. Davis is on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.”

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Man found dead in mosque toilet

A man was found dead in a toilet at the Masjid al-Yousuf al-Berberi mosque on Rahdhebaimagu in Malé last night (October 5), reports local media.

According to police, the man was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital.

The deceased is believed to be a foreigner between 30 to 40 years of age. Cause of death has not been established yet.

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Nine students arrested in Addu City with pornographic material

Nine students of the Feydhoo school in Addu City were arrested yesterday over possession of nude photos and videos, reports local media.

Police did not reveal any further details of the case, but confirmed that the suspects taken into custody around 2:00pm on Sunday (October 5) were below 18 years of age.

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