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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Dismissed Defence Minister’ passport held by authorities

The passport of former defence minister Mohamed Nazim has been held by the department of immigration and emigration through a Criminal Court order, say media reports.

State TV broadcaster MBC reported that Nazim’s legal team had confirmed immigration is holding the passport.

Nazim – who was also acting health minister and head of immigration – was dismissed from his post on January 20, three days after police raided his apartment in the Galolhu ward under a court warrant.

Speaking to the media on the day of his dismissal, Nazim said that recent events had shown that no Maldivian was assured of safety and security.

Minivan News contacted department of immigration’s spokesman Hassan Khaleel who stated that travel plans of individuals cannot be revealed and so refused to provide confirmation regarding reports that Nazim’s passport has been held.

Nazim himself refused to comment on the matter, referring Minivan News to his lawyer Azima Shukoor who was not responding to calls at the time of publication.

Criminal Court Spokesman Ahmed Mohamed Manik said the relevant authorities will receive such court orders and that he is unable to confirm anything more.

Following Nazim’s dismissal Maldives Police Services (MPS) told the press that they had found dangerous weapons at Nazim’s house during the search, though they denied knowing it was Nazim’s home before the raid.

“Nazim and some of his family members were questioned regarding the weapons but they failed to adequately respond to the questions,” said Spokesman for Commissioner of Police Ahmed Shifan.

Meanwhile on January 22 Nazim’s legal team published a statement stating that he 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.”

Immigration are also currently holding the passport of former Deputy Speaker of the Majlis and Progressive Party of Maldives MP Ahmed Nazim though police have not revealed the details of the investigation.


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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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Fuvahmulah Airport handed to government after costing STO MVR170 million

The State Trading Organisation (STO) has been losing MVR12 million (US$ 780,000) per year since Fuvahmulah Airport opened in 2011, Managing Director Ahmed Azim told Haveeru.

“I requested the government to take over the airport because it has been causing that much damage to the company,” said Azim, noting that the state-owned company had lost in excess of MVR170 million (US$11 million) since the airport opened.

Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the STO last week, President Abdulla Yameen said that he does not believe the STO will ever earn profit from the airport.

“Even though STO had to suffer numerous losses and had to bleed because of it, it has constructed an airport at Fuvahmulah,” said President Yameen – who had previously served as Chairman of STO. “We have decided to take over the airport and re-compensate the company for its losses.”

Upon assuming the presidency in November 2013, Yameen declared the STO bankrupt before Azim announced a campaign to cut operational costs by MVR50 million (US$3,242,542) in 2014.

Last week Yameen warned that “managing directors of state owned companies will change if the companies cannot perform” to the required standard, shortly after the dismissal of Maldives Airports Company Ltd chairman Ibrahim ‘Bandhu’ Saleem.

Despite being constructed as part of the STO’s social responsibility, the airport was not economically viable, said Yameen, warning that the boardrooms of state owned companies should consider such investments more carefully in the future.

Yameen did, however, call upon the STO to widen its scope into international global markets. He spoke of diversifying the company into numerous fields such as shipping and oil tanker operation, while promising government support for such ventures.

Fuvahmulah Airport – which has a runway of 1200 km runway – was constructed and opened in 2011 by the STO during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration. It operates flights to Malé and Gan International Airport, to the south.

Nasheed tweeted today that the airport would yield profits if the originally envisioned tourism activity were to be developed. The single island atoll has no resorts, and only a single guest house registered with the tourism ministry.

During his presidential election campaign in 2013, Nasheed had pledged to transform the island via 70 separate development projects, as well as awarding it city status.

With 8,579 people, according to the 2014 census, Fuvahmulah has the fourth largest population of any island in the Maldives.


Related to this story

President Yameen urges STO to enter international markets

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State Trading Organisation bankrupt: President Yameen

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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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Economic Ministry stops issuing work permits to foreign photographers

The Ministry of Economic Development has decided to stop giving out work permits to foreign photographers starting from yesterday (January 26).

“We want to provide the opportunity to Maldivian youth and to ensure that photography stands up on its own as an established industry,” Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed has told Haveeru.

“This will encourage small and medium sized businesses to develop,” he explained, adding that only Maldivians will be allowed to provide photography services in resorts.

The current government has pledged to create more jobs for local youth by replacing expatriate workers with Maldivians.

Maldives Photographer’s Association (MPA) President Mohamed Shafy told Minivan News that the government’s decision is a “huge accomplishment” for the organisation, which has been working relentlessly to provide more opportunity for local photographers.

Shafy said that foreign nationals were taking up opportunities which would otherwise be given to local photographers – especially at resorts – by demanding a smaller price than their local counterparts.

He explained that the association had discovered, via the recently passed Right to Information Act, that 14 foreign nationals were working in the photography industry in the Malé area, despite just 3 having been licensed throughout the country.

“We do not mind the photographers who come for a certain project or with famous celebrities,” said Shafy. “However, some of these resorts have foreign resident photographers for weddings and occasions while it could be Maldivians doing the job.”

Shafy said that the association has held talks with various government officials regarding the matter.

“We have had talks with tourism minister Adeeb, [former] defense minister Nazim and we were told they will try to change things around. So we did not think that the minister Saeed would take such a drastic measure.”

Another local photographer described the move as a “very good decision” which would provide a lot of opportunities to work at resorts.

While there are 1500 professional photographers registered with MPA, Shafy estimates that there are over 3000 photographers working professionally in the country.

“It used to be that tourists would come to the Maldives just for the underwater scenery and pictures. But now we see more honeymooners who want their pictures taken,” said Shafy, describing the potential of the industry.

He expressed his belief that the decision would prompt a lot of photographers who had given up on the profession to return to the industry.

The theme of ‘Maldivian work for Maldivians’ forms a major part of the government’s current policy for strengthening the economy and reducing youth unemployment.

Youth minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamal has told Minivan News recently that there are over 13,000 individuals in the youth unemployment registrar. Shortly after the current government took office in late 2013, the youth ministry said it would attempt to resolve unemployment by replacing expatriate workers with locals.

After pledging to create 94,000 jobs during its five year term, the government recently announced that it would be illegal to hire expatriate workers as cashiers starting from April this year.

Speaking at the time, Saeed said: “A large percentage of the Maldivian youth is unemployed and looking for unemployment. All they need is support and guidance.”

In December last year, former Managing Director at Maldives Airports Company Ltd Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem told a Majlis committee that difficulties with local staff had resulted in a dependence on foreign employees, and even military assistance, to keep the international airport running.

Saleem – who had been called before the Majlis to explain the high number of foreign workers at Malé international airport – was removed from his post for unspecified reasons last week.


Related to this story

Foreigners barred from cashier jobs as President promises work for Maldivians

MACL chief says airport dependent on foreign workers

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Safari operators in online picture controversy deny shark fishing

The operators of a Safari boat whose staff and visitors were pictured with endangered shark species have assured that they pay special attention to environmental conservation, denying that the images showed shark fishing.

Furamaana Travels – which operates the Bolero Safari boat – told Minivan News that several endangered and protected species including sharks and sting rays were caught before being released back into the ocean after removing the lines and hooks.

“How would they know what they caught before they fish it out of the water? As soon as it was discovered that endangered species were caught, the safari crew removed the hooks and line. They were released into the sea, unharmed”, said a Furamaana staff member.

Photos of a night-fishing trip on the boat have prompted outrage, as they appeared to show tourists and staff members holding several species of live shark – which are protected under Article 4 (a) of the Environment Protection Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Director General Ibrahim Naeem told Minivan News that it is currently contacting the relevant parties, including Furamaana Travels, to clarify information about the matter.

“We will only be able to take any steps after all facts surrounding the matter has been clarified. We will take action depending on the severity of the offence”, Naeem stated.

Ali Rilwan, Executive Director of local environmental NGO Bluepeace stated that the NGO does not feel the incident to be an issue “from a conservation point of view” as the caught animals were released back into the ocean.

“Safaris in Maldives operate in a very ethically correct manner, once caught they cannot just cut the line and release it, they have to remove the line and hook before doing so. Taking a photo before the release is not an issue, I do not see this in a negative light”, said Rilwan.

Local NGOs last month condemned images showing a turtle being cut in half for its eggs and meat, prompting the fisheries ministry to commence work on introducing stricter fines – up to MVR10 million (US$650,000) for illegal capture of turtles and tortoises.

Meanwhile, a ceremony was held today at EPA Agency to award the fishermen of Madduvari in Meemu Atoll for rescuing a stranded whale-shark from a shallow lagoon near Maduvvari Island.


Related to this story

Fisheries Ministry to set up stricter fines for turtle hunting

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Marine biologist discovers turtle, shark slaughter in Maldives’ UNESCO biosphere reserve

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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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