Category: News in Brief

Maafushi Court introduces Video Conferencing

Maafushi Court has started using video conferencing technology during court proceedings, writes CNM.

The video conferencing technology was inaugurated in a special ceremony today by Chief Judge at the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed.

The court informed media that with appropriate use of the technology, it will be able to save approximately MVR1 million (US$65,000) per month.

CNM reported that the state has had to spend excessive amounts on transporting criminals held at Maafushi Prison for remand trials in the capital Malé.

Source: CNM

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Azima’s law firm drops Nazim’s case

Former Attorney General Aishath Azima Shakoor has dropped former defence minister Mohamed Nazim’s case, say media reports

According to a press statement from Azima’s law firm Avant-Garde, the firm decided to drop the case for “personal reasons”.

Nazim is facing charges relating to possession of dangerous weapons after police raided his home on January 18.

The statement also said that Nazim’s case from now onwards will be handled by Maumoon Hameed – nephew of President Abdulla Yameen.

Previously Avant-Garde has stated that Nazim did not commit any act in violation of the law and that “he would like to assure everyone that he would not do anything in violation of the law in the future”.

State TV broadcaster MBC reported that Azima’s law firm had, earlier today, confirmed that the department of immigration is holding his passport.

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We should not surrender to climate change: Dunya Maumoon

“This month a team of scientists reported that melting ice caps and glaciers due to climate change are causing oceans to rise more drastically than previously calculated,” writes foreign minister Dunya Maumoon for the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

“The news is particularly troubling for my country, the Maldives — the world’s lowest lying island chain — and for other coastal and island nations that sit just metres above sea level.

In fact, saltwater has already begun to contaminate our groundwater supplies, while erosion is wearing away our shores.

And even as the water rises around us, the cruel irony of climate change was driven home last month when a fire shut down our capital island’s only desalination plant, leaving its 100,000 inhabitants in a precarious situation.

Within hours, some of our closest neighbours and partners, including India, Sri Lanka and China, had mobilised shipments of water to get us through until the plant was repaired. Our own private sector, non-governmental organisations, and other civil society groups pitched in, working with the government, and proving that everyone in the society has a role to play in addressing crises.

Tackling climate change over the long term will obviously demand concerted action at a much more substantial scale over decades.

But we should not surrender to the notion that it will be impossible. Recent studies have confirmed that existing technologies, such as energy efficiency, renewable power, and smart policies can rapidly reduce emissions, while bringing important co-benefits, such as improved public health and energy and water security.”

Read more

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Police starts investigating case of dead body found at a Villimalé home

The Maldives Police Services has started investigating the case of a dead body found in a Villimalé home yesterday (January 27).

A police press statement read that they have started investigating a case of a 38-year-old dead man found at V. Hevaa yesterday at around 5.35pm.

The statement said that, upon receiving information of a man having collapsed, police arrived on scene and took the man to the health center, where doctors confirmed that he was dead.

An investigation team from the police’s serious and organised crime department found items believed to be drugs and syringes at the scene, read the statement.

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MVR20 million saved in electricity subsidies with fall in oil prices: NSPA

The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has announced savings of MVR20 million (US$1.3 million) in electricity subsidies due to the steep fall in international oil prices.

Haveeru reported NSPA CEO Mujuthaba Jaleel as saying that the agency had provided a monthly average of MVR81 million (US$5.3 million) in subsidies last year, with this month’s outlay expected to fall by 25 percent.

International oil prices plummeted from US$100 per barrel to US$80 in just three months late last year, while current prices have dipped below the US$50 mark per barrel.

Mujuthaba also said that the recently announced re-registration of people wanting electricity subsidies – between February 10 and April 9 – would result in a further reduction in costs.

The re-registration comes after the government announced it would start providing targeted subsidies for food and electricity in order to ease the state budget deficit.

The International Monetary Fund had previously pointed out the need to target the subsidies saying that it would result in “substantial savings”.

Source: Haveeru

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Commissioner of Police assigned private security

Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed has decided to have a personal security detail for the first time since he was appointed to the post, with media reporting death threats having been made against him.

Spokesperson for the commissioner Superintendent Ahmed Shifan confirmed to Minivan News that Waheed had started using personal security.

“The commissioner has started taking personal security starting today,” said Shifan. “However, information regarding any threats cannot be disclosed at the moment.”

However, Vaguthu has reported a police information officer as saying that police intelligence had received information of some threats made to the commissioner.

Last year saw the repeated instances of SMS death threats against journalists and politicians, with police working alongside the Communication Authority of Maldives to identify the senders.

Source: Vaguthu, Vnews

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Former Laamu Gan Council President remanded in fraud investigation

Laamu Gan Magistrates Court has given police permission to remand former island council President Ahmed Solah after his arrest in relation to fraud charges yesterday (January 27), reports media.

Along with two council staff members, Solah was arrested on suspicion of abusing his authority in the leasing of land. The suspects houses are said to have been searched as part of the investigation.

Reports say that Solah resigned from his position on January 19, citing personal reasons.

Source: Raajje.mv, Vnews, CNM

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Ministry of Islamic Affairs opens bidding process for Hajj agencies

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has opened the bidding process to select the Hajj agencies which will be taking Maldivian pilgrims to Mecca this year.

A ministry announcement read that the proposals should be submitted according to the updated Hajj regulations which were published yesterday (January 27).

Speaking to Minivan News, Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Aishath Muneeza has said that the updated regulations for Maldivian Hajj pilgrims would help prevent Hajj-related fraud cases in the future.

Under the new regulations, the Hajj license will not be released to the company if “anyone convicted or suspected fraudulent Hajj transactions are present in the board of directors or management,” requiring the companies to hand in the criminal records of all board members while submitting the proposals.

“The new law would also require the agencies to submit a timeline to the ministry giving itself deadlines such as the dates by when tickets are brought, money is taken from customers,” said Dr Muneeza.

State-owned the Hajj Corporation is to handle 50 percent of the quota given by the Saudi Arabian government, the remaining slots are equally distributed to three private companies after a bidding process.

Last year, the government covered the expenses of 121 defrauded customers of the Al-Fathuh Hajj Umra Group with an amount in excess of US$500,000.

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High Court decides to conduct closed door detention extensions

The High Court has decided to conduct closed door hearings for cases of extension of detention.

As per the new regulation that will come into force tomorrow (January 28) presiding judges can decide on opening the court chambers for the public after considering the nature of the case – with the exception of murder, drugs and illegal substances, and child abuse cases, which are always closed.

In such instances where the court chambers are opened, only people closely related to the defendant and are not witnesses to the case will be allowed to observe the proceedings.

According to Article 42 (c) of the Constitution and Article 71 (b) of the Judicature Act, judges have the authority to conduct entire or parts of the trial proceedings without opening the chambers for public viewing.

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