Category: News in Brief

Four paramedic ambulances arrive

The government has brought in four paramedic ambulances to the Maldives yesterday.

State minister for health Hussain Rasheed told Haveeru that the government plans to introduce paramedic ambulance services in Malé, Laamu atoll, and Addu City.

The health ministry signed an agreement with the State Trading Organisation (STO) in November 2014 to bring in 54 ambulances for use in the atolls.

The health ministry said at the time that the ambulances would cost US$2.5 million.

Then-acting health minister Mohamed Nazim had said at the time that the government will provide an ambulance to all inhabited islands by June this year.

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PPM wins Vaadhoo council by-election

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has won a by-election held yesterday for a vacant seat on the Gaaf Dhaal Vaadhoo island council.

PPM candidate Naushad Waheed won the by-election with 329 votes against independent candidate Abdulla Rasheed, who got 309 votes.

A second by-election was also held on Saturday for a vacant seat on the Raa Angolhitheemu island council with three independent candidates contesting.

The winning candidate, Mohamed Ibrahim, received 101 votes, while the second placed candidate, Aishath Inasha, received 92 votes.

Both by-elections were called when independent councillors resigned from the five-member Vaadhoo and Angolhitheemu island councils.

The Vaadhoo council currently has four independent councillors and one PPM councillor, while the Angolhitheemu council has four opposition Maldivian Democratic Party councillors and one independent councillor.

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Police officer assaulted in Malé

A group of people dragged a police office into a private residence in Malé and beat him severely last night.

A police media official told Minivan News that the policeman was forced into a house near Petrel café in Machangoalhi ward and beaten at around 11.10pm.

“He was taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital for treatment. He suffered injuries to the head and had minor cuts and bruises,” police said.

The injured officer has since been released. No arrests have been made yet.

Two police officers were assaulted during an anti-government protest on May 1. The two were taken to Sri-Lanka for further treatment.

Some 14 individuals have been arrested over the May Day assault.

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Mother charged with murder over death of toddler

A mother has been charged with killing her three-year-old son on the island of Rakeedhoo in Vaavu atoll in January.

The prosecutor general’s office told local media that the case against Fathmath Afiya was filed at the criminal court today.

The body of three-year-old Mohamed Ibthihaal was found with signs of severe abuse on January 28 in the worst case of child abuse in recent years. The murder shocked the nation while reports that officials had been aware of Ibthihaal’s abuse sparked public outrage.

Afiya was arrested two days later and has since been held in pre-trial detention. Her stepfather, Ismail Raoof, was arrested on April 1 on suspicion of physically and sexually abusing Ibthihaal.

The PG office also pressed disobedience to order charges against Afiya over child neglect.

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Two men arrested with 1kg of hash oil

Two Maldivian men were arrested with 1kg of hash oil last night.

The pair, aged 20 and 22, were taken into custody around 9:05pm in an operation conducted by the police intelligence and drug enforcement departments.

The arrests were made based on intelligence information suggesting that the pair were smuggling and selling drugs in Malé.

Police officers followed the 22-year-old on his motorbike and arrested him near the Imperial Clinic on Lonuziyairah Magu. The bags containing the drugs were found in his possession.

The 20-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the case.

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MDP Noonu atoll councillors chip in to pay salary for suspended councillor

Island and atoll councillors of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in Noonu atoll are chipping in to pay the salary of  suspended Holhudhoo councillor Hussain Habeeb.

Habeen was among seven councillors suspended for two months without pay by the Local Government Authority. All seven had been arrested in a police crackdown on the May Day anti-government demonstration after protesters attempted to enter Malé’s restricted Republic Square.

Noonu Kudafari island councillor Jazlan Adam told CNM that opposition councillors in the atoll decided to assist Haseeb as they believe he was suspended unlawfully. He was accused of taking part in an unlawful gathering.

Jazlan said he hoped councillors in other atolls will follow the example of the Noonu councillors and help their suspended colleagues.

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Court releases judge’s brother arrested for arson

The prosecutor general’s office has appealed the Maalhos magistrate court’s release of a man arrested on suspicion of torching two boats and a speedboat in Baa Kendhoo on April 24.

According to local media, the suspect, Abdul Salam Yousuf, 42, from the Morning House in Kendhoo, is the brother of criminal court judge Abdul Bari Yousuf.

Judge Bari was part of a three-judge panel that sentenced former President Mohamed Nasheed and former defence minister Mohamed Nazim in March.

The magistrate court in Baa Maalhos had extended Salam’s remand detention twice, but reportedly refused to grant a third extension. He had been held in police custody for 20 days.

The owner of the vessels said at the time that the fire caused damages worth MVR3 million (US$194,931). The boats and speedboat were made of fibreglass and were completely destroyed.

The owner also said the perpetrator had broken into his petrol shed and stolen gasoline.

The owner is a member of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

A few days after the incident, a car owned by an MDP activist was set on fire in the Feydhoo ward of Addu City.

Both incidents occurred ahead of a mass anti-government rally planned for May 1.

Local media reported at the time that according to eyewitnesses two masked men carrying knives set the car on fire around 6:45am on April 28.

The car’s owner, Mohmed Thoriq told Minivan News at the time that some windows of his house also caught on fire as the car was parked in front.

“My mother saw the flames and woke me up crying,” he said.

“In total with cost of the windows of the house and the car, this is about MVR 230, 000 worth of damages for me,” he said.

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Bore hole drilling begins for Malé–Hulhulé bridge survey

A team of Chinese technicians began drilling bore holes on the ocean floor today to gather information for the Malé-Hulhulé bridge project.

Tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb, economic development minister Mohamed Saeed, and other cabinet ministers attended an inauguration ceremony for the bore hole drilling at the raalhugadu (surf point) area of the capital this morning.

Housing and infrastructure minister Dr Mohamed Muiz said at the ceremony that information gathered from drilling the holes will be essential for designing the bridge.

Technicians are drilling 29 bore holes that will be six inches wide and 50 metres deep. Four of the bore holes will be on land.

Surveys and feasibility studies ahead of the design process are being conducted with free aid and technical assistance from the Chinese government.

Muiz said the Maldivian government will seek a developer once the designs are finalised. The project will be financed with a soft loan from the Chinese EXIM bank. The government has previously said the project may cost between US$100million and US$150million.

The six-lane bridge will run from Malé’s surf point to the southwest corner of Hulhulé island’s airport runway, Muiz had previously said.

China has said it would “favourably consider financing” the bridge project if the design proves feasible, while President Xi Jinping said he hoped the government would call the bridge “the China-Maldives friendship bridge”.

The government has said construction of the bridge will be completed by 2017.

Speaking at this morning’s ceremony, Adeeb said the current administration is fulfilling its campaign pledges “like a set of firecrackers on fire.”

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Women’s rights NGO slams court’s US$13 fine for domestic violence

Local women’s rights NGO Hope for Women has said that a MVR200 (US$13) fine imposed on a man found guilty of assaulting his wife defeats the purpose of the prosecution.

Luthfee Umar from Laamu Isdhoo was found guilty on May 17 for physically assaulting his wife and shoving her onto the deck of a fishing boat in January.

The NGO said the victim, Hawwa Ibrahim, from Matharesmaage in Faafu Nilandhoo, did not want to press charges against her husband.

The NGO praised the police for investigating the case and the prosecutor general’s office for filing charges at the criminal court.

“However, sadly, the outcome has defeated the purpose of the prosecution. And society has been given a message completely contrary to that purpose. Therefore, we believe that the people who carry out such acts will receive further encouragement,” Hope for Women said in a statement yesterday.

While it does not encourage meting out severe punishments for first time offenders, the NGO said judges must take the nature of the crime, its repercussions, and familial obligations of the accused into consideration.

“Moreover, we believe that the responsibility of the prosecutor is working with the aim of achieving a just outcome instead of just raising charges,” it added.

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