Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has expressed concern after pictures began circulating on social media depicting a man holding a 3 foot crocodile in his hands.
Haveeru reported that the small crocodile seen in the picture is now kept in a little pond at a house belonging to one of the individuals pictured, who are believed to have found the crocodile on an uninhabited island on Malé Atoll.
“We are going to investigate this case. We urge citizens to inform relevant authorities first if you see any such animals,” Haveeru reported MNDF spokesperson Major Adnan of saying.
“The crocodiles being sighted these days are most likely to have drifted with the currents from nearby countries,” said EPA Director General Ibrahim Naeem. “If crocodiles were to populate this country, it would have happened thousands of years ago.”
The Criminal Court has remanded former Minister of Defence and National Security Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim for 15 days in police custody.
Nazim was arrested last night at around 1:15am and was taken to Dhoonidhoo Detention Centre.
Nazim’s lawyer Maumoon Hameed told Minivan News this morning (February 10) that his client was being charged with offences related to activities against the state, while his arrest form described the charges as terrorism and possession of illegal items.
Members from both the Adhaalath and the Jumhooree Party have today said they will join Nazim’s legal team, while the Prosecutor General’s Office has declined to comment on any aspect of the case.
Nazim himself tweeted news of his arrest to his followers shortly after 1am, also announcing that he had left the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.
A press conference by Nazim’s legal team is scheduled to be held tonight at VTV at 9pm, explained the law firm of Maumoon Hameed – Premier Chambers.
Meanwhile Adhaalath Party spokesman Sheikh Ali Zahir tweeted saying that he has decided to join Nazim’s defence team along with former Commissioner of Police MP Abdulla Riyaz.
Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla has been one of the few politicians to comment on the case today, tweeting his belief that Nazim would not kill anyone in order to gain power.
“Nazim has been treated with injustice. We are and have been against injustice,” read another post from Imran today.
Following comments made in the media regarding the charges yesterday, Riyaz told Minivan News that he was convinced the case was “purely political”.
“The legal team has prepared a very strong case, and can positively prove that the items found at Nazim’s house do not belong to him,” he said.
Nazim had been minister of defence since the controversial transfer of presidential power in February 2012, having delivered an ultimatum on behalf of mutinous police and military units demanding President Mohamed Nasheed’s unconditional resignation.
Prior to his dismissal, he was considered one of the most powerful figures within the government, holding the health portfolio as well as chair of the Local Government Association (LGA).
Special Operations officers raided Nazim’s home in the early hours of January 18, with police later saying they had found dangerous weapons – including a pistol and an explosive device during the search.
After initially expressing support for the minister, Nazim was dismissed from his position two days later, being replaced by Major General (retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel on January 20.
Police have maintained they were unaware that the home belonged to the defence minister prior to the raid, later telling media that the decision was made not to make arrests due to the profile of the suspect.
After the passports of both Nazim and his wife were confiscated, the former minister was summoned for questioning at police headquarters earlier this week.
The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has announced the commencement of the two month application period for renewed electricity subsidies.
In an announcement made on February 9, the NSPA stated that the period for submission of forms will run from February 10 to April 9.
The forms are to be submitted to the NSPA desk in Faashana Maalam of Dharubaaruge in Malé and island council offices in other regions.
The NSPA recently revealed that the criteria for state provided electricity subsidies is under review to ensure subsidies are granted in a proportional and fair manner, as “the wealthy and the poor are now being the same subsidies”.
The Maldives has been included in the World Cup qualifying stage in the Asian zone for the 2018 World Cup finals to be held in Russia.
The country was included in qualifying as one of the top 34 Asian national teams, reported Vaguthu, with Afghanistan and Bangladesh the only other South Asian countries to appear in the qualifying round.
The Maldives is currently ranked 131st in the FIFA world rankings. The highest ever ranking attained by the country was in 2006 at 126, while lowest was 183, in 1997.
The qualifying matches – which are to be played as home and away fixtures – are due to start on June 11, while the group draw is to be decided in April.
The top team in each group will qualify for the third round in the World Cup qualifications, while also automatically qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup – the biggest footballing event in Asia.
The mother of Indian national Rubeena Buruhanudeen will travel to the Maldives where she will attempt to visit her daughter, who has been held in pre-trial detention for four and a half years.
Shafeeqa Beevi has asked Maldivian authorities permission to visit her 30-year-old daughter, who faces charges of infanticide and attempted suicide after the death of her ten-month-old son in 2010.
Despite local lawyers taking up Rubeena’s case in 2012, it has remained stalled, with the last scheduled hearing in December delayed as the court requested to hear from the doctor who initially examined the child’s body.
Her lawyers are seeking an additional hearing to claim their client’s diminished responsibility.
Meanwhile, a campaign to secure her release is gaining momentum in her home state of Kerala, with over 8,000 people having signed the ‘Save Rubeena’ petition, calling for the intervention of authorities in the case.
The petition is to be delivered to the Indian High Commission in Maldives, and the Chief minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy – who has already met with Rubeena’s parents, promising action.
India’s Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj was handed the petition on Sunday (February 8), explained Anupama Mili, a journalist for the New Indian Express who is helping with the campaign.
“There is already an online campaign started on Facebook ‘Save Rubeena’. This is followed by the miraculous escape of another Indian, Jayachandran Mokeri, recently from Maldives,” explained Anupama.
Jayachandran had been imprisoned for 8 months on what he claimed were false child abuse charges, before being released on December 25 after the case became publicised through Indian media.
“His friends and relatives started the group ‘Save Jayachandran Mokeri’ in Facebook and started campaigning for him in all levels including media, bureaucracy, different political parties and even religious and business leaders,” said Anupama.
The same group is now campaigning for justice in a number of cases involving Keralites incarcerated in the Maldives, converting the Jayachandran Facebook page for the ‘Save Rubeena’ campaign.
“After [Jayachandran’s] return, he told me about many other Keralites with more or less similar plight,” she added. “I gave the report in my paper, and hit headlines here.”
Shafeeqa Beevi has not seen her daughter in five years
Renewed hope
Jayachandran has claimed he came into contact with around 21 Indian nationals while in Dhoonidhoo detention centre, though statistics provided to Minivan News by the Maldives Correctional Services show only seven Indian nationals – all male – being held in the country.
The New Indian Express has today reported that Kerala’s social justice minister Dr M.K. Muneer will seek the support of the External Affairs Ministry to keep better records and to offer assistance to Keralites detained abroad.
The case has also sparked debate in India over the practice of poor girls from Kerala being sold off to foreign nationals in return for money, with Rubeena’s mother saying her new husband had cleared the family’s crippling debts as part of the arrangement. He has since divorced her during her incarceration.
In an interview republished in Minivan News yesterday, Shafeeqa recalled the deterioration of her daughter’s marriage, and the confusion surrounding her grandson’s death.
Sources close to Rubeena’s case have learned that she confessed to the killing before having received any legal assistance, and has since said she was heavily medicated at the time of her child’s death, with only a vague recollection of events.
Shafeeqa also explained the renewed hope the campaign had given her after four years without progress.
“It was after the release of Jayachandran master, I renewed my hope. He had met Rubeena in jail and she had given him my number.”
“I had completely lost my hope. But now, things are apparently changing. My hope has been restored. Many people who have never seen me or are even connected to me are trying to bring my daughter out of that prison.”
The Kerala campaigners have also taken up the cause of Indian National Nabeesa Beevi, who had been left stranded in the Maldives after death of her husband last year.
Nabeesa – left partially paralysed, reportedly after complications during a caesarean birth – was returned to India yesterday (January 9) after social justice minister Muneer informed the Indian High Commission in Malé that Kerala state would be willing to pay for her care.
Recently dismissed defence minister Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim was arrested last night at around 1:15am.
Nazim’s lawyer has said police told him his client was being charged with offences related to activities against the state, while his arrest form described the charges as terrorism and possession of illegal items.
The charges carry a potential sentence of 7 – 10 years, explained Maumoon Hameed, adding that his client was taken last night to Dhoonidhoo detention center.
“We would be able to prove at the remand hearing that the Nazim should not have been arrested and that he is not guilty of any accusations,” he told Minivan News.
Media had reported that the police’s investigation into dangerous weapons charges had been forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office yesterday evening, though Hameed has not been officially informed of this.
Nazim himself tweeted news of his arrest to his followers shortly after 1am, also announcing that he had left the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.
Wish to inform all well wishers ive been taken to police custody tonight. Allah almighty will give me justice..Insha allah.
I would like to inform all my well wishers.i hv left #ppm today but will be committed to work with u for a better & secure #Maldives — Mohamed Nazim (@nazim7878) February 9, 2015
Police were unable to reveal further details of the arrest, while Minivan News was unable to obtain a response from the Prosecutor General’s Office at the time of press.
Special Operations officers raided Nazim’s home in the early hours of January 18, with police later saying they had found dangerous weapons – including a pistol and an explosive device during the search.
After initially expressing support for the minister, Nazim was dismissed from his position two days later, being replaced by Major General (retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel on January 20.
Police have maintained they were unaware that the home belonged to the defence minister prior to the raid, later telling media that the decision was made not to make arrests due to the profile of the suspect.
After the passports of both Nazim and his wife were confiscated, the former minister was summoned for questioning at police headquarters earlier this week.
A pilot project to establish vehicle-free zones in the capital Malé will be introduced on February 15, authorities have revealed.
Speaking at a joint press conference with the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure and the Transport Authority of Maldives, housing minister Dr Mohamed Muizzu said the scheme will see the closure of Heena Goalhi and Raiyvilla Magu in Henveiru ward to vehicles, including bicycles.
“We will also establish special parking zones for people from houses on these roads, special permits will be given to them to park in these parking zones”, Muizzu explained.
President Abdulla Yameen has previously pledged to ban traffic in narrow lanes in Malé in order to ease congestion in the densely crowded city of 130,000 people, allowing space for children to play.
Transport Authority chairman Abdul Rasheed Nafiz said that the measures would need to go hand-in-hand with a reduction in the number of vehicles in order to find long-term solutions to traffic congestion.
Although the government has not finalised the measures, Nafiz said that current proposals included the halting of vehicle registration renewal for vehicles older than 15 or 20 years, with new vehicle registration open only allowed as older vehicles are taken out of use.
“The new slots will go to the highest bidder. We think this is the most fair manner in which we can do this,” Nafiz said.
Muizz today noted that a ministry survey had shown that some areas involved in the pedestrianisation scheme have storage facilities and garages, but that those businesses will be required to load and unload goods by parking outside the pedestrianised areas.
People who park their two wheeled vehicles inside their homes will be allowed to walk their vehicles to the houses inside the no-vehicle areas.
“Physical obstructions will be put in place and traffic police will be monitoring the area to ensure vehicles do not enter. We will ensure there is enough space for wheelchairs and such,” said Muizzu.
According to the ministry, the pilot project will continue with the closure of more roads in all wards along with Henveiru – including Galolhu, Machchangoalhi and Maafannu – until June 8.
Nafiz explained that the stickers assigned to vehicle owners of the residences in the pedestrianized zones will be given free of charge and must be displayed.
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