Day: February 15, 2015

Malé pedestrianised zones in effect from today

The housing ministry will issue permits to park vehicles in the newly pedestrianised zones starting from today, according to a press statement from the ministry.

From today (February 15), Heena Goalhi, Rayvila Magu – both in Henveiru ward, and the narrow road leading from Burevi Magu will be closed to vehicles until June 8.

The decision was made by housing ministry on February 10 after President Abdulla Yameen pledged to introduce vehicle free zones in Malé, with the government saying that more would follow the initial pilot scheme.

The press statement issued by ministry today noted that permits to park in the vehicle free zones would only be issued to those living in the area, while the permit will only be issued after presenting evidence that the person is living in the area and the vehicle registration.

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Adeeb denies connection with former Raajje TV journalist Asward

Tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb has rejected suggestions that he was linked to the recent resignation of Raajje TV journalist and Deputy CEO Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed.

Raajje TV itself tweeted from its official account that Asward had left the channel after it emerged that he was working to establish a media channel with a senior member of the incumbent government.

After rumours on social media suggested Adeeb was the politician in question, he tweeted in response.


Asward – who came close to death following brutal attack in February 2013 – maintains that he left the channel due to its “deviation from the original objective”.

Despite being regarded as as aligned with the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Raajje TV’s Senior Advisor and former MDP MP for Velidhoo Constituency Yameen Rasheed recently defected to the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.

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MNDF to provide security for former Police Commissioner Riyaz

The Maldives National Defence Force has said it will provide security for MP Abdulla Riyaz after the former police commissioner requested protection last week.

“People are following me everywhere I go. I feel somewhat threatened. I have requested for security but MNDF are yet to grant me security,” Riyaz told Minivan News.

MNDF Spokesman Major Adnan Mohamed said only that a request from Riyaz had been received and that the process of arranging the protection was ongoing.

The spokesman has also been quoted as saying that limited resources could delay provision of security to the Kinbidhoo constituency MP.

After serving as police commissioner between 2012 and 2013, Riyaz moved into politics, joining the then-government aligned Jumhooree Party (JP’s) before winning a seat in the Majlis last year.

Since the JP’s split from the government, and the arrest of former defence minister Mohamed Nazim, Riyaz has suggested the police are now being used to further political agendas – claims rejected by police as attempts to “deceive the public”.

His comments came after Nazim’s legal team suggested that dangerous weapons found in his home were planted by the police, who have since stated that the former minister had been plotting to overthrow the government.

Riyaz has also suggested that police are attempting to plant narcotics in his office, his home, or his car. He told Minivan News today that he had sent pictures of those following him to police.

Writing to the newly appointed Minister of Defence and National Security – Nazim’s replacement – Major General (retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel last week, Riyaz said he feared his life was in danger.

“I need security as I fear there might be an attempt on my life based on the political atmosphere set now,” he wrote.

Article 105 (b) of the Constitution requires the state security services to provide “protection and safety” to all members of the People’s Majlis.

Riyaz also sent a similar letter to Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer, asking if any person has been charged in the case of an MP’s motorcycle being set on fire, as well as an incident in which oil was thrown at him last December.

Security concerns in the country also caused the current Police Commissioner Hussein Waheed to take on additional personal security late last month.

Concerns for the security of MPs in October prompted the MNDF to warn Majlis members to stay in their homes after dark, saying that personal security would be made available to any MP who requested it, though the protection was withdrawn soon after.

This move had followed a significant number of threats made against MPs last year, with the Inter Parliamentary Union saying the government’s reaction would be a test of its democratic credentials.

Attacks on elected officials have become more common in recent years, most notably the brutal murder of Progressive Party of Maldives MP Dr Afrasheem Ali in October 2012.

In February last year, MDP MP Alhan Fahmy was nearly paralysed after being stabbed in the back in a busy restaurant in the capital Malé.


Related to this story

Police deny framing Nazim as former Commissioner alleges politicisation

MPs urged to stay in at night as MNDF offers personal security

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Police and PG’s Office announce regulations for faster prosecutions

New regulations to speed up investigations and prosecutions have been announced by the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office and the Maldives Police Services (MPS).

Specified cases will now be prosecuted within seven days, with police saying that the measures would “reduce the number of repetitive offenders” as criminal cases can now be prosecuted within the time frame of the initial remand period.

In a joint press conference held today (February 15) Police Superintendent Hamdhoon Rasheed explained that the regulation enacted on January 4 will apply to five types of cases.

These will include cases in which: the accused confesses to the crime; witnesses and video/photo evidence clearly identify the accused and the crime; there is forensic evidence and witnesses; there is two clear witness statements; there is a police witness.

The cases in which the accused confesses to the crime and the cases in which police personnel are witnesses will be prosecuted within 3 days, while other three types of cases will be prosecuted within 7 days.

The PG’s Office representative at the conference, Information Officer Adam Arif, stated that the new regulations have so far been applied to 20 cases.

Of these, he explained that eight are in court, seven have been put on hold, three require further clarification, one suspect was given leniency given for first time offenders, while the PG decided to dismiss another case.

In answering queries regarding the cases the seven cases that have been put on hold, Arif said that they had involved offenders who are currently under the drug rehabilitation programme, mandated by the drug court,or under trial in that court.

“According to drug court regulations and rehabilitation policies, these cases have to be put on hold until the drug court decides on the continuation of their rehabilitation programme or on the cases lodged against them,” said Arif.

In response to questions regarding potential weaknesses in the cases due to the speeding up of the investigation and prosecution process, Arif stated that the regulation applies to considerably small offences.

“We believe this will facilitate justice by speeding up the judicial process. We do not think this will weaken the investigation or the prosecution process,” Arif stated.

Recent moves to have also been made to speed up the appeals process, with the time allotted for appeals from lower courts reduced to 10 days – from the usual 90 (180 for cases from the atolls).

The Supreme Court has said that the move to expedite proceedings will ensure the constitutional right to hearing within a reasonable time, though critics have argued the new regulations effectively remove the legal right of appeal.

Nazim case

When asked during the conference today about whether the case of former Minister of Defence and National Security Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim had been sent to the PG’s Office by police, Superintendent Hamdhoon noted that “his case is serious and related to terrorism”, and that these regulation did not apply to his case.

While neither the office itself nor police have provided any confirmation on whether Nazim’s case has been sent to the PG, his legal team has reported that police told the Criminal Court during a remand hearing on February 10 that the case had been sent to the PG on February 9.

Nazim’s legal team noted that the police had said, under oath, that some forensic processes had not yet been completed despite the case being sent to the PG.


Related to this story

Supreme Court has removed right of appeal, claim legal experts

New court regulations introduced to speed up justice system

Police deny framing Nazim as former Commissioner alleges politicisation

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Majlis’ Ibthihaal investigation postponed until end of recess

The Majlis committee investigating the death of 3-year-old Mohamed Ibthihaal will wait until the house reconvenes in March before holding further meetings.

Chair of the Majlis government oversight committee Riyaz Rasheed told Haveeru that there was “no point” and that “nothing further that can be achieved”, accusing fellow committee member Rozaina Adam of releasing confidential documents.

“I specifically asked the members of the committee at its last meeting to not make any of these documents public,” said the Progressive Party of Maldives MP.

Since the committee’s first meeting was held on February 5 was adjourned to give members more time to study the case’s documents, opposition Maldivian Democratic Party MP Rozaina has accused Rasheed of slowing the committee’s work.

She has also told the media that the documents received from the police contained no details of the toddler’s case prior to his death, despite authorities acknowledging that they were previously aware of his abuse.

Last Thursday, she went on to say that the gender ministry’s report contained  questionable statements, alleging that both the ministry and police had acted in breach of the law.

Ibthihaal was found dead in his home with numerous wounds and bruises on the island of Vaavu Atoll Rakeedhoo on January 28. His mother is mother is charged with murder and is in police custody awaiting further investigation.

Riyaz reiterated that. while parliament’s involvement has been temporarily brought to a halt, the government is looking into the matter and taking necessary action to prevent further incidents of the kind.

Source: Haveeru

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Civil Court halts trials from February 15-19 for administrative overhaul

The Civil Court will halt all trials from February 15 to 19 in order to re-organise the court’s divisions and to settle other administrative matters as ordered by the Supreme Court circular of January 8.

Although all trials will come to a stop, the court will continue to accept new cases said a statement on the court’s website.

The statement came with a work plan which allocates particular works for every day in the time period including evaluation of issues in the sections, refurnishing, reallocation of responsibilities, and the redesigning of forms and other documentation.

These changes yesterday prompted the presiding judge in former President Mohamed Nasheed’s case against the Judicial Service Commission to announce:

“I cannot assure you that I will be sitting on this appeal after the said changes; therefore I cannot give out court summons for the next hearing”.

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Jamaaludheen building unsafe, says Housing Minister

The Jamaaludheen building being used by the Maldives National University (MNU) is unsafe for students, says the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

Speaking today at a joint press conference with the Ministry of Education, Dr Muizzu said that many risk assessments had been undertaken regarding the safety of the building in recent years, deeming the building unsafe.

“Cosmetic work has been done in the building to cover up these damages,” he said. “It is very irresponsible of certain individuals to say that the building is safe when it clearly is not. The building is not structurally stable from an engineering perspective.”

Last week, the President’s Office requested that police vacate the premises within seven days, prompting concerned responses from the university, the student union, and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

A subsequent statement released last week by MNU read that the sudden decision to vacate the premises is not viable without a building to move into, and that the university is saddened by the fact that the decision will halt the education of many students.

Dr Muizzu this morning shared pictures from an assessment done in 2013 which showed severely corroded and damaged columns in the building, which is currently used by over 1,300 university students.

However, Dr Muizzu reiterated claims previously put forward by the President’s Office saying that several alternative plots of land had been offered to the university, and that the university had not responded to them.

“We offered various plots of land to the university in recent years,” explained Dr Muizzu. “The university was even offered large spaces in the Hulhumalé development second phase and at Gulhifalhu as well.

Also speaking at the press conference, Minister of Education Dr Aishath Shiham urged all concerned stakeholders to engage in discussion to solve the matter in order to protect the interest of current students.

Dr Shiham stated that the government is currently holding discussions with the management of the university, expressing confidence that the matter will be resolved by February 19.

“The university is a place run on the government budget, for the purposes of further developing our education system. Therefore, we should all be working on this matter together and our biggest concern should be protecting the rights of the students,” she concluded.

The opposition MDP expressed concern last week regarding the matter saying that the students are scared and are in need of answers after hearing police were going to clear the building.

“These students are unsure as to whether they could return to their classrooms they have been studying in,” said MDP Education Committee Chair Dr Luthfee, who served as the minister of education during MDP’s administration.

Dr Luthfee also expressed concern at the situation of the private Mandhu College, which has seen an exodus of students following an eviction notice from the education ministry. The college has refuted claims it has breached the terms of its lease.

The Education Ministry has been met with firm criticism in recent weeks, with Teacher’s Association of Maldives (TAM) president Athif Abdul Hakeem alleging the ministry of intimidation and opposition accusing the ministry of interfering with higher education institutions.


Related to this story

Opposition concerned at “interference” with educational institutions

Mandhu College denies violating agreement as eviction looms

Mandhu College experiencing 40 percent dropout rate

TAM President accuses Education Ministry of intimidation

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Dirty Politics in Pristine Maldives: The Diplomat

“Three powerful public figures in the Maldives say they are victims of a murky political witch-hunt by President Abdulla Yameen, who, ironically, wouldn’t have been in office without their support in the controversial ousting of former President Mohamed Nasheed three years ago,” writes Vishal Arora for The Diplomat.

“Gasim Ibrahim, resort tycoon and leader of the Jumhooree Party, alleges that he has received death threats and that his business interests are being hurt. Earlier this month, his party severed ties with the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.

Mohamed Nazim, meanwhile, was until last month the defence minister, but he was sacked on charges of “treason” after police raided his home. Authorities claimed he was in possession of a 9mm pistol, bullets, and improvised explosive device. Nazim’s lawyers say he was framed, implying that the firearms were planted by police.

Earlier, in December, Ahmed Faiz Hussain was removed as chief justice of the Supreme Court on the grounds of ‘incompetence,’ although that allegation was never substantiated. ‘Today will be written down as a black day in the constitutional history of the Maldives. I state this is a black day for the constitution,’ he said after his removal.”

Read more

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Civil Court rejects Nasheed stay order on Hulhumalé Court bench changes

The Civil Court has decided “there are no grounds” to grant a stay order asking the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) to halt the process of reappointment of the Hulhumalé Magistrate Court.

The order was requested by former President and opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader Mohamed Nasheed, who is challenging the assembly of the bench tasked with trying him for the detention of judge Abdulla Mohamed while in office.

In the hearing held yesterday (February 15) at 4pm, the presiding judge stated that the stay order cannot be granted as the court has not found that the JSC is bringing changes to the Hulhumalé Court bench.

Meanwhile the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) has expressed concern over the “sudden resumption” of Nasheed’s trial, noting that the committee is closely monitoring the developments.

The BHRC said it had closely followed the case for almost two years. Previous observation of the case led the committee to describe the Hulhumalé court bench as “cherrypicked to convict”, prompting calls for “fundamental reform of the judiciary and its administration in the Maldives”.

In answering Nasheed’s stay order request, the JSC has previously denied that it is bringing any changes to the court, also claiming that it does not currently exist as the two out of three of the magistrates first appointed have now been promoted to superior courts.

Saturday’s trial saw the JSC raise a procedural issue, stating that while the commission has the authority and power to allocate and transfer judges, the Civil Court does not have the jurisdiction to deliberate on the legality of the Hulhumalé Magistrate Court bench as the bench was appointed on the Supreme Court’s advice.

The JSC lawyers also contended that the decision was not made by the Judicial Council as claimed by Nasheed’s lawyers, as the responsibilities and authority of the council have been taken over the Supreme Court.

Procedural issues

Nasheed’s lawyers asked whether the JSC is claiming that the Civil Court cannot deliberate on the matter because the commission interprets the Supreme Court’s advice on appointing the bench as a court ruling or because the JSC does not believe Civil Court has jurisdiction on the matter.

The JSC lawyers responded by stating that the “procedural issue is based on Supreme Court’s decision”.

In Nasheed’s challenge at the High Court regarding the legality of the Hulhumalé Magistrate Court bench, the JSC raised a similar jurisdictional issue, with the High Court deciding that it did not have jurisdiction to look into the matter, saying it could only deliberate on decisions taken by lower courts.

In reply, Hisaan Hussain from Nasheed’s legal team explained that Article 43 (C) of the Constitution afforded every citizen the right to appeal against any administrative decision and that “therefore we are appealing JSC’s administrative decision to convene the magistrates panel”.

Subsequently, the JSC clarified that the procedural issue was based not on jurisdictional grounds but because the commission believes that the Supreme Court’s advice on appointing the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court bench is the court’s ruling.

At that point, the presiding judge stated that the Supreme Court had issued a circular that “changes the composition of the Civil Court by 12am tonight (by 15th February)”, explaining that “I cannot assure you that I will be sitting on this appeal after the said changes; therefore I cannot give out court summons for the next hearing.

Nasheed’s legal team also requested more time to discuss the case with the legal team and lawyers based outside Maldives.

The controversial court was formed specifically to oversee Nasheed’s trial for the January 2012 detention of Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed. Legal challenges to the court have seen the case stalled since April 2013.

Nasheed’s lawyers have previously challenged – unsuccessfully – the establishment of a magistrates court in the Malé suburb, arguing that Hulhumalé is considered to be part of Malé City under the Decentralisation Act and therefore does not require a separate court.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Gabriela Knaul has also noted that the “appointment of judges to the case, has been set up in an arbitrary manner outside the parameters laid out in the laws”.


Related to this story

High Court cannot deliberate on Hulhumalé court bench

Nasheed’s request for halt to Hulhumalé court appointments denied

Nasheed requests reappointments to Hulhumalé court be stopped

Nasheed trial part of drive to eliminate President’s opponents, says MDP

Fair trial for Nasheed “difficult to see” when judicial bench “cherrypicked to convict”: BHRC trial observers

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