Man sentenced for indecently exposing himself to a minor

The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a man to three years in prison after the court found him guilty of the indecent exposure of his body to a minor in Villingili.

The court identified the offender as Mohamed Saeed, 39.

The Criminal court said the brother of the male victim received information of the incident and reported to police that Saeed was attempting to have sex with the boy inside a guest house named ‘Beach View’ in Villingili.

“When police went to the guest house after receiving the information from the victim’s brother, police attended the scene and saw Saeed standing naked near the bed,’’ said the Criminal Court. “The boy was lying on the bed when the police arrived.’’

The Criminal Court said the victim told the court that Saeed went into the toilet and came out naked.

Saeed told the court that he worked in a cargo ship and came to Male’ for his vacation.

The Court sentenced him according to the ‘Act on special actions against sexual abuse to minors’ section 22[a] and 22[b].

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Letter on the housing crisis

Dear Editor,

Suppose a woman who is working has to resign from her job for the caring and upbringing of her very young child, she cannot do it because if she resigns from the job, her family cannot afford to continue paying the monthly rent and the family shall go back to the miserable conditions that they were suffering in for ages, or even worse than that.

Here I am talking about the families who are being provided with the basic housing under an affordable housing scheme by Hulhumale’ Development Corporation (HDC). The reason why people have accepted these pigeon-hole like housing is because they had no place to live. This housing is called Row Houses by HDC.

We hear from the NSPA that families who face such difficulties shall apply for a subsidy but there is no such mechanism. For example, if one applies for a subsidy due to the above reason, this working woman must resign from her job first and then apply for a subsidy which is really a very big risk for them, and may be forced to migrate to a neighboring country where their income is enough to live and support the family.

When the number of families who are leaving behind their beloved and beautiful Maldives are at alarmingly high increase due to such unavoidable reasons, the authorities responsible usually mention that it’s because people have lot of money and that they are living abroad.

I think a responsible authority must think on the real issues before commenting blindly. Because, people are really suffering. This is not something we can hide. Maybe NSPA, HDC or the Human Rights Commission do not get many such complaints from the people but this issue is talked and discussed by the people every day and several times a day. I think people are not interested in complaining on such issues because people know very clearly the answer that they shall get and nothing would change. People do not like to go and talk to those who are at the service counters because we all have bad experiences taking about such issues.

So, I hereby request the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) and the country’s basic housing providers to please think on this critical issue before a large number of people die without enjoying their right to live in their beloved country.

Regards
Saeed

All letters are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write a letter piece, please submit it to [email protected]

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GMR pays US$78 million upfront fee to government

Indian infrastructure giant GMR has paid the Maldives the US$78 million upfront fee to the government for the operation of Male’ International Airport, the finance ministry has stated.

GMR has leased the airport for 25 years in partnership with Malaysia Airport Holdings. As well as the upfront fee, the GMR-MAHD consortium will pay one percent of profits until 2014 and then 10 percent until 2035, and 15 percent of the fuel trade until 2014 and 27 percent thereafter.

The consortium has previously stated that it will invest almost US$400 in upgrading and expanding the existing airport.

The controversial deal has come under fire from a coalition of opposition parties, who have opposed the privatisation on nationalistic grounds and argue that the bidding process was not transparent.

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Easy island life masked by uneasy development: Asia News Network

Everything seems so surreal in Male’, writes Jofelle Tesorio from the Asia News Network.

“The easy island life is masked by an uneasy development where buildings are built in every corner and people buy branded products, sport the newest phone technology and drive expensive cars. And yet, there is a significant number of the population who barely can afford necessities.

“The unemployment rate in the country is also quite high compared to its population yet the country will soon graduate from being an underdeveloped to middle-income country.

Read more

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Hulhule Island Hotel wins ‘Luxury Airport Hotel’ award

The Hulhule Island Hotel (HIH) near Male’ International Airport has been awarded the ‘Luxury Airport Hotel’ by the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2010, held on October 8 in Thailand.

The 136 room hotel, built in 2000, is used as a luxury stopover by tourists waiting for further transport, as well as flight crews. It is also a popular venue for Male’-based foreign workers.

This is the third year the hotel was won the award.

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Forty percent of manifesto complete, claims MDP

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) claimed at its congress last weekend that 40 percent of the party’s manifesto had been implemented since the party took office in 2008.

MDP spokesperson Ahmed Haleem told Minivan News that the congress was “very successful”, with launch of the local council election campaign representing “major progress” towards the upcoming local council elections.

During the congress the MDP launched a “Youth Wing’’ and a ‘’Womens’ Spirit Wing’’, which Minivan News understands intends to encourage “positive discrimination” towards involving women in politics.

Haleem said more than 1000 delegates took part in the congress including observers.

“All delegates were selected through primaries, unlike how it is done in other political parties in the country,’’ he said. “Other parties just call their friends to be delegates or hold a little primary at the event.”

Speaking at the Congress, President Mohamed Nasheed outlined dates for the construction of housing, claiming he would lay the foundation for flats in Male’ on November 10, the foundation for 1000 flats in Hulhumale on November 11, and 500 flats in the atolls.

A further 1000 flats would be built with the assistance of Korean aid, he said.

He also noted that projects such as land reclamation, harbour development and sewerage works were not included in the manifesto, but were also being implemented. Harbour developments had been completed in 27 islands since the party took office, Nasheed said, while further harbour developments were currently occuring at 11 islands. Projects would commence in Hoarafushi, Ihavandhoo and Dhiffushi in November, he said.

Speaking on corruption, Nasheed noted that years of accumulated corruption could not be dismissed in two years. But, he said,  “a good governance system without torture is now being created in the Maldives. The government has done away with revenge.”

MDP’s election manifesto consists of five core pledges: ‘nationwide transport’, ‘affordable living costs’, ‘affordable housing’, ‘affordable quality healthcare’, and the ‘prevention of narcotics abuse and trafficking’.

Criticising the the government’s achievements, opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Mahlouf claimed that the 40 percent implementation of the pledges announced at the congress “was more like five percent.”

“I think it’s very clearly not true,” he said. “What we saw at the MDP Congress was some deleagates criticising the President for giving dates for the launch of projects because they knew it was going to make it difficult for them to campaign.”

Mahlouf noted that while the number of poor registered in Male’ in 2008 was 2000, “now it has increased to 9000.”

“Nasheed also promised to bring down the price of goods – but now it costs Rf 300 for a kilogram of chilli. I was shocked.”

Mahlouf further claimed that the DRP had attempted “to help the MDP implement its manifesto by ensuring there was a free state media, run by a board determined by parliament, but they were against it.”

Mahlouf also noted that as for the promise to tackle corruption, “Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index now ranks the country next to Zimbabwe.”

The government contends the index reflects a growing awareness that corruption is a problem.

Image: Maurouf Khaleel

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Speaker cancels parliament after MPs continue dispute over cabinet endorsement

The parliament sitting today was again cancelled after the opposition and ruling party MPs clashed over the issue of cabinet endorsement.

Newly-appointed spokesperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Alhan Fahmy told Minivan News that the parliament sitting became heated after the MDP parliamentary group leader MP Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik took a point of order saying that the cabinet endorsement should only be included in the agenda after amending parliament’s rules of procedure.

“Moosa said that parliament should only proceed with the issue after amending the rules of procedure,’’ said Alhan. ‘’He said that there was no procedure to follow when endorsing the cabinet ministers.’’

The opposition MPs disagreed and the sitting was concluded.

The Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that while article 171(i) of the parliament’s rules of procedure does not contradict with constitution, it cannot be used in endorsing cabinet ministers.

Attorney General Dr Amhed Ali Sawad said the ruling “clearly establishes that even if the Majlis does something outside its stated precinct in the constitution, such an act will be ultra vires (beyond its powers)”.

“In terms of legal precedent it has established a Supreme Court endorsement of separation of powers theory in the constitution, and identifies the separate legal precincts of the executive, legislature and judiciary,” he added.

However he noted that the Supreme Court decision left it open to the parties to resolve the deadlock – which currently shows no sign of happening.

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan claimed that “once again MDP MPs deliberately forced the speaker to cancel the parliament after making disruptive remarks.’’

Nihan claimed that MDP wanted to “use their power inside the parliament rather than following the rules of procedure.”

‘’If the parliament sitting is to  proceeded, than the ruling party must keep aside their stubbornness and let the sittings proceed according to the rules of procedure,’’ Nihan said.

Niahan said DRP parliamentarians have decided not to endorse ministers  “including Foreign minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed and Defence minister Ameen Faisal, for they have conducted actions against the constitution.”

He also said that DRP’s planned protests will be ongoing and it were delayed out of consideration for students’ exams.

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Coco Palm Resorts to host Miss France 2011

The Coco Palm Bodu Hithi resort in the Maldives will host the filming of the Miss France 2011 pageant from November 11-18.

In a statement, the resort said that the 33 contestants from across France will compete for the title by participating in a range of activities at the resort, including traditional Maldivian cooking, filming a music video, water sports, and ‘exploring the natural beauty of the Maldives’. The final event, a ‘crowning ceremony’ will be held in Caen in Normandy on December 4.

The annual contest is one of the most-watched broadcast events on French television, and “is sure to
provide tremendous publicity for Coco Palm Resorts and the Maldives a destination,” the resort said.

The Coco Palm Bodu Hithi resort is part of the the luxury division of Sunland Hotels, a local Maldivian-owned company.

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US Ambassador opens American Centre in new National Library building

United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Patricia Butenis, opened the new American Centre in the National Library Building on October 28.

The centre had previously been called the American Corner and was located in the National Library since May 2004, serving as a resource centre for the public on all things American.

In her speech, Ambassador Butenis highlighted the services offered at the new American Centre, explaining that when when the national library moved in July, “we felt the time was right to rename our facility in order to more accurately represent our growing ties with the people and the government of Maldives.”

The upgraded American Center appears part of a wider effort by the American government to engage with the Maldives. The United States marked its Fourth of July independence day for the first time in the Maldives with a function at Holiday Inn.

Butenis said it had been her desire to enhance and enlarge the role of the American Corner ever since she took on her role as Ambassador for Maldives and Sri Lanka over a year ago.

“We had some dispute with Washington over what to call it, since this is not a consulate,” she said.

Shafeea Shakir, who was worked in the National Library for the past 10 years, has been appointed the coordinator of American Center taking over from Thifla Umar. “We would like to encourage more people to use the resources at the center, as there is so much on offer like audio and videos,” she said.

The center offers free internet access, information about United States via a large collection of DVDs, and an online research database. The center also offers students the chance to participate in ‘Dyn Ed’, a computer based English learning programme. The center further offers events like public readings, films, lectures by various speakers and workshops and exhibits.

Among the speakers who visited Maldives earlier in the year was Imam Khalid Lathif, chaplin of the New York Police Department. Lathif gave talks on ‘Human rights under Islam’ and ‘Women’s rights in Islam’ in the American corner during August.

Ambassador Butenis said a number of Americans would visit Maldives in the coming months and hold discussions at the center. Imam Khalid Lathif is among them, and will return to the Maldives in December along with Dr Richard Navarro, an expert on higher education, who will stay in the Maldives for nine months on a Fulbright fellowship.

“We are also increasing the number of Digital Video Conferences (DVC) with individuals from United States. Experts from Harvard and Yale will present lectures sharing their expertise across nine time zones with American center participants in Male.’ Ambassador Butenis added the lectures would be interactive, as participants will get a chance to ask questions.

DVC had been used recently to conduct a professional development-training programme for National library employees with the Director of the American Centre in Colombo.

Ambassador Butenis said she hoped the technology would prove a useful resource for Maldivian civil society to collaborate with their counterparts in the United States.

An inter library loan programme with the American Center in Male and American Corners in Sri Lanka is also in the pipeline.

“This will increase the selection of books and journals available to Maldivian patrons by over 4,000 titles- a collection that continues to grow each year,” said Ambassador Butenis

Ambassador Butenis ended her speech highlighting the similarities between the two countries.

“Our two countries, half a world apart in distance share much in common. In many ways, your own path to democracy mirrors ours. We have a lot to learn from each other, and the American Center will facilitate further communication and collaboration between the people of the Maldives and the United States.”

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