Day: January 20, 2015

Hulhumeedhoo Health Centre first to offer chemotherapy outside of Malé

Hulhumeedhoo Health Centre in Addu City has become the first place in the Maldives outside of Malé to offer chemotherapy.

Health centre officials told Sun Online that the service was launched on Sunday, and the first patient treated yesterday with medication brought with him from India.

The government has said that the introduction of chemotherapy facilities – unavailable in the country before last year – was crucial, with Maldivians with cancer having previously been forced to live abroad.

Source: Vnews, Sun Online

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Hajj corporation inaugurated, Shaheem pledges to reduce cost of pilgrimage

President Abdulla Yameen last night officially inaugurated the Maldives Hajj Corporation, with Islamic minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed pledging to reduce the cost of the pilgrimage.

Shaheem told those in attendance at the ceremony held at Hotel Jen yesterday evening that MVR110 million (US$7.1 million) had been deposited with the corporation so far, noting that government had become more involved in the Hajj trips after the activities of some unscrupulous companies.

The state-owned Hajj Corporation was established during the presidency of Dr Mohamed Waheed in 2013, after legal wrangling over whether the Islamic Ministry should be forced to reevaluate several unsuccessful bids by private Hajj groups.

Of the 1,000 pilgrim quota afforded to the Maldives by Saudi Arabia last year, 500 were reserved by the Hajj Corporation while the rest were divided amongst Hajj groups chosen after a bidding process.

Sun Online has reported that the corporation’s quota is now filled until 2017.

Source: Haveeru, Sun Online

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Dangerous weapons found in Nazim’s house during raid, say Police

Police have revealed that dangerous weapons were found at the house of former defence minister Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim on Sunday morning (January 18).

“We found dangerous weapons at his house,” said Spokesman for Commissioner of Police Ahmed Shifan at a press conference held this afternoon. “Nazim and some of his family members were questioned regarding the weapons but they failed to adequately respond to the questions.”

The details of the raid – previously withheld – came just hours after Nazim’s dismissal and subsequent replacement by Major General (retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel.

Following President Abdulla Yameen’s decision to remove him from the cabinet, Nazim said the raid showed that no Maldivian could be considered safe or secure based on recent events.

“This gives an alarming signal that entering any house, at any time and to do anything is possible. The defence minister is the most senior official standing beside the president,” he said during a press conference held at the studios of DhiTV.

Nazim went on to say that he intended to cooperate fully with police and had already provided statements, fingerprints, and DNA samples.

Superintendent Shifan told the media that the police had obtained a warrant from the Criminal Court after receiving reports that dangerous weapons were being kept in a Malé home.

“A police tactical team was sent to the house at around 3.15am on January 18, whereupon they went up to the eighth floor and searched 2 apartments.”

Media speculation as to the specific weapons found in the apartment have varied considerably, with no such details revealed by police officials today.

Shifan once again assured the press that officers had been unaware that the apartment belonged to the defence minister until they had forcefully entered the property, adding that best practices were maintained throughout the search.

“The team did not know Nazim was present at or living at that apartment until after they arrived on the scene,” said Shifan.

“We would like to reiterate the fact that the police would not hesitate to search any house under a court warrant in order to ensure the safety of the general public.”

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has earlier this week suggested that the raid had been conducted to retrieve documents which might incriminate tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb, though Adeeb had rejected these claims.

Commenting on Nazim’s dismissal via twitter today, Adeeb said it was a “sad day” when former colleagues “changed their direction”.


Nazim also suggested this afternoon that such a raid could not have happened without the president’s knowledge, although President’s Office Spokesman Ibrahim Muaz told Minivan News earlier that presidential approval was not required to investigate a cabinet minister.


Related to this story

Nazim dismissed as defence minister, replaced by Moosa Ali Jaleel

Police raid Defence Minister Nazim’s home in early hours

Opposition condemns Defense Minister Nazim’s apartment raid

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Faris Maumoon appointed PPM Media Coordinator

Minister of State for Economic Development Faris Maumoon has been appointed as media coordinator for the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

Faris – son of former President and PPM leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – was nominated for the role at a party meeting held yesterday evening (January 19), reports media.

The position is said to have been vacant up to now, but is mandated within the party’s regulations.

It was also reported that the party agreed to hold a meeting of its national council next year.

Source: Sun Online, Raajje.mv

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Nazim dismissed as defence minister, replaced by Moosa Ali Jaleel

Minister of Defence and acting health minister Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim has been dismissed.

Spokesman Ibrahim Muaz tweeted that Nazim has been “expelled from his post due to an ongoing investigation”.

Moments later, Muaz announced that Major General (retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel had been appointed as the new minister of defence and national security.

Nazim’s removal comes just days after his home was searched by special operations officers, who reportedly removed documents after a 3am raid on January 18.

Speaking to the media this afternoon, Nazim said that recent events had shown that no Maldivian was assured of safety and security.

“This gives an alarming signal that entering any house, at any time and to do anything is possible. The defence minister is the most senior official standing beside the president,” he said during a press conference held at the studios of DhiTV.

“It is how things are in all parts of the world. If the situation is so that the minister’s house can be raided at any time, no Maldivian citizen will have safety and security”.

Both Nazim and the President’s Office had played down the incident earlier this week, with Nazim reporting that he was “unfazed”, while the President’s Office expressed continuing confidence in the minister.

“The government and the president has not taken steps against any cabinet minister,” Muaz told Haveeru on Sunday.

However, this afternoon, Nazim expressed his belief that President Abdulla Yameen had been complicit in the investigation.

“I do not believe that such a thing could have been carried out without the head of the state, the president, knowing about it,” said Nazim. “His excellency the president told me that he did know that police entered my home when it happened.”

Muaz told Minivan News today that the president had made the decision as a result of the investigation, but that his approval was not needed in order for police to initiate proceedings against cabinet members.

Investigations into tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb were reported to have been behind the president’s decision to curtail the powers of home minister Umar Naseer in August last year, removing the minister’s ability to issue direct orders to police.

Revealing few details of the raid, police told media on Sunday that they had been unaware the house searched was Nazim’s when obtaining the warrant. Media reports yesterday said that President Yameen had paid a surprise personal visit to Police Commissioner Hussein Waheed at police headquarters.

Nazim told the press that he had complied with all the police’s requests – providing statements, fingerprints, and DNA – and that he would continue to do so.

He is also facing a contest for his position as the president’s appointee to the Local Government Association as fellow board members approved a no-confidence motion against him last week.

The newly appointed defence minister Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel was formerly the chief of defence forces. Jaleel signed for the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives one year ago, saying that he believed the current government’s policies would ensure development and “save the country”.

After 32 years of service, Jaleel retired from the military in the wake of the controversial transfer of presidential power in February 2012.

In January 2013, Jaleel told parliament’s government oversight committee that he believed former President Mohamed Nasheed had “resigned under duress”.

Jaleel is among the senior military officers facing charges over the detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed in the weeks prior to Nasheed’s resignation.

Nazim had been minister of defence since the transfer of power – one of the first appointments made by Dr Mohamed Waheed who assumed the position following the unrest of February 7.

Video footage on that day showed Nazim addressing mutinous police and military units gathered in Republican Square, saying he had delivered an ultimatum on their behalf demanding Nasheed’s unconditional resignation.


Related to this story

Police raid Defence Minister Nazim’s home in early hours

Former defence chief and two MPs among high-profile switches to pro-government parties

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Justice Ali Hameed appointed to the Judicial Service Commission

Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed has been appointed to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) by President Abdulla Yameen.

A media official from the judicial watchdog confirmed that Hameed would replace JSC President Justice Adam Mohamed, who resigned on Sunday (January 18) citing personal reasons.

Last year, the JSC cleared Hameed of misconduct charges, citing lack of evidence to support his alleged appearance in three sex tapes involving three different foreign women, which went viral in mid-2013.

Former JSC member and outspoken proponent of judicial reform Aishath Velezinee said Hameed’s “appointment to the JSC by the consensus of Supreme Court judges shows how low the courts have fallen”.

The commission voted against suspending Hameed last year, citing a lack of evidence, while the Maldives Police Service – which launched its own investigation – told the press that they been unable to determine if the man seen fornicating with the women was Hameed.

In its ruling last year, the JSC noted that the police had closed its own investigation into the case, and that the tape may constitute an act of espionage as it appeared to have been filmed by an unauthorised body, noting that it is against the Constitution to obtain evidence by unlawful means.

Corruption charges filed against the Supreme Court judge were also stalled last year after key documents were said to have been destroyed by a coffee spill at the Criminal Court.

Velezinee today described Ali Hameed as a puppet to the current regime saying: “Any judge who doesn’t deliver as directed will be subjected to action by the JSC. Ali Hameed has got a noose on his own neck – the sex tapes. The government can pull any time.”

“This compromises the independence of the judiciary as the old system would now prevail,” added Velezinee, stating that the current government would now be able to control the decisions of the courts.

The ten member JSC includes representatives from High Court, the trial courts, the People’s Majlis, the public (appointed by the Majlis), the attorney general, the chair of the Civil Service Commission, the Majlis speaker, a presidential appointee, a practising lawyer, and a Supreme Court judge nominated by his peers.

The appointment comes less than a month after the JSC found Hameed’s fellow judges on the Supreme Court – Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz and Justice Muthasim Adnan – unfit to continue to serve on the bench in a ruling made available to neither the public nor MPs.

The secrecy of the decision did not prevent the Majlis voting to remove the pair three days later (December 14), in a move described as having “severely jeopardised” the country’s judicial independence by Commonwealth groups.

The Civil Court and several prominent lawyers also condemned the JSC’s recommendation to remove the judges, saying that the People’s Majlis had “forced” the JSC to deem Faiz and Adnan unfit for the bench without due process, through an “unconstitutional” amendment to the Judicature Act.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and lawyers Gabriela Knaul also expressed serious concern over the decision, saying that it would “have a chilling effect on the work of the judiciary at all levels”.

In a 2013 report, Knaul noted that political polarisation in the Maldives had meant that the “commission has allegedly been subjected to all sorts of external influence and has consequently been unable to function properly”.


Related to this story

JSC President Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla resigns

Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed cleared of misconduct in sex tape scandal

Two more sex videos of Supreme Court judge leaked

Police suspend investigations into Supreme Court judge’s sex scandal

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Addu High School wins Zayed Future Energy Prize

Addu High School has been awarded the Zayed Future Energy Prize (ZFEP) for its achievements in promoting renewable energy and sustainability.

The US$100,000 reward – announced at an award ceremony in Adu Dhabi yesterday evening – was given after the school installed a 2.8kW solar project last year using funds from the UN’s Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme.

The school is now hoping to expand to a 45kW installation that will provide 100 percent of the school’s energy needs by the end of 2015.

“Currently, the school takes most of its power from the electricity grid. The aim of the project is to save the school money, earn money from the sale of surplus power and raise awareness of clean energy and sustainable development among pupils,” explained the prize’s official website.

The ZFEP was launched in 2008 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to commemorate the environmental advocacy of his father – himself posthumously awarded the UN’s Champions of the Earth award in 2005.

The annual US$4million prize fund is divided into five categories: large corporations, small and medium enterprises, NGOs, lifetime achievement awards, and global high schools.

US$500,000 for the high schools is divided into five US$100,000 awards for schools in the the Americas, Europe, Africa, Oceania, Asia, with Addu High School chosen ahead of schools in Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka, and India.

The jury of selectors included Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, and former South Korean Prime Minister Dr Han Seung-Soo, as well former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed.

“ZFEP’s achievements would surely bring tears of happiness to all Maldivians. Congratulations to Addu High School,” tweeted Nasheed.

Nasheed also congratulated former US Vice President Al Gore, who received the ZFEP lifetime achievement award yesterday.

Minister for Environment and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim – in Abu Dhabi himself last weekend for the fifth session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – has also offered his congratulations.

The ministry revealed that discussions were to take place on the sidelines of the IRENA session regarding the start of practical work on a clean energy project to be funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).

The Dh22million (US$6 million) in concessionary loans was announced during last year’s IRENA session, with Maldivian media stating the Addu City had been confirmed as one of three areas where waste will be converted to clean energy for water desalination.

It was also announced in September that the government had a five-year target to generate 30 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources, though the government has also pledged to search for oil within the Maldives’ territorial waters.

Last month, the ministry completed installation of the country’s largest solar panel project, on the island of Thinadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. The scheme is set to provide 50 percent of the island’s electricity needs.

A US$11 million 395 kW solar energy project funded by Japan was completed in the capital Malé last year, while a 100 percent solar-powered luxury resort called Gasfinolhu opens for business this month.

Diesel fuel accounts for the bulk of the energy supply in the Maldives, with electricity generation taking up around 40 percent. Petrol products also constitute one third of the country’s imports, amounting to around US$570 million in 2014.


Related to this story

Ministry of Environment aims to “transform the Maldives’ energy sector”

Environment Minister attends International Renewable Energy Agency session

Political instability is key concern at Maldives renewable energy investment conference

Maldives awarded US$6 million loan for clean energy projects

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Government had no choice but to increase teachers’ salary: MDP

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said today that the government decided to increase teachers’ salaries only because it was left with no other choice.

Speaking to the press today, the chair of the MDP’s education and training committee, former education minister Dr Musthafa Luthufee, said that the government had no intention of increasing teachers’ salary until the end of 2014.

“It was not included in the budget, and teachers demonstrated and threatened to strike. The salary increment was announced after even the government started providing wages for athletes,” said Luthufee.

The Ministry of Education announced the salary increases earlier this month, with some teachers’ pay jumping by up to 35 percent.

The salary increments came after repeated protests last year, with 90 percent of teachers protesting in September– wearing black clothing to raise awareness of poor pay, inadequate protection of teachers, and the failure to grant the Teachers Association of Maldives official recognition.

The MDP education committee also alleged today that since the government has decided to significantly increase the salaries of those teachers with a diploma, a degree or a Master’s degree, a lot of teachers who do not fall into these criteria are at a loss.

“1200 teachers have applied to study for diplomas at Mandhu college,” said Luthufee. “This will have negative social impacts on teachers who have certificate level qualifications, especially in small islands.”

Speaking to the press earlier this month (January 10), education minister Dr Aishath Shiham said President Abdulla Yameen had fulfilled his pledge to honour teachers, and that the government’s aim was to employ qualified teachers and provide them with adequate pay.

However, Vice Chair of the MDP education committee Shifa Mohamed – also a former education minister – argued that the structure of the increments was not properly planned or researched.

“For example, most Dhivehi teachers have a language degree, not a teaching degree. How will these teachers get increments?” asked Shifa.

The MDP also severely criticised the government for failing to consult with the relevant stakeholders regarding the new grade one to three syllabus.

“A new syllabus does not only mean new text books,” said Luthufuee. “The syllabus is very important as it holds the power to eventually shape these individuals in 18 years’ time.”

The education committee said that a new syllabus should only be implemented after holding consultations with students, teachers, parents, education experts, religious experts, and other relevant stakeholders.

The spokesperson for the ministry of education was not responding to calls at the time of publication.

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives is trying to make it seem as though the syllabus is the creation of the current government alone, while in fact it is the product of numerous individuals over many years, argued the MDP committee today.


Related to this story

President Yameen announces rise in teachers’ salaries

Teachers across Maldives take part in ‘black protest’

Education Ministry hikes teachers’ pay by 35 and 15 percent

Teachers’ Black Sunday protest prompts government talks, strike decision pending

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