Court imposes travel restrictions on MP Nazim

Travel restrictions have been placed on former Deputy Speaker and Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Nazim following a Criminal Court order.

Nazim’s passport has been held, though police are not revealing further details of the case.

Nazim is the latest in a number of active cases against sitting MPs, the frequency of which last year prompted the Inter-Parliamentary Union to express concern.

The Progressive Party of Maldives MP was recently cleared of charges of defrauding the now-defunct Atolls Ministry.

Earlier this year, the High Court dismissed appeals from the Prosecutor General’s Office to overturn a decision reached in the Criminal Court in February 2012.

The former People’s Alliance member has been charged in 2009 with conspiring to defraud the ministry, with police revealing evidence that Nazim alone received US$400,000 in the scam.

Nazim lost his position as deputy speaker earlier this year as the PPM chose Abdul Raheem Abdulla to stand for the post, with the Fonadhoo MP eventually losing out to Maldivian Democratic Party MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik.

Additionally, an independent report into the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan also mentioned the Dhiggaru MP’s name, alleging that Nazim had attempted to implicate the tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb in the case.

The report by private UK-based intelligence firm suggested that Nazim had promised to provide a journalist with information linking Adeeb – also deputy leader of the PPM – with corruption if he could be linked to the disappearance of Rilwan.

Likes(1)Dislikes(0)

Government taken hostage by the police and gangs operating in Malé: Nasheed

Maldivian Democractic Party (MDP) President, and former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed accused the government of being taken hostage by the police and the many gangs operating in the capital Malé.

“At the moment, the government has failed in providing a path to bring perpetrators of serious crimes in front of justice,” Nasheed said while speaking at an MDP rally held in the carnival area of the capital last night (October 26).

Nasheed also alleged that four individuals from the MPS Special Operations (SO) unit were behind the recent chopping down of the areca palm trees planted on both sides of the city’s main thoroughfare Majeedhee Magu.

“Two nights ago, we saw Maafannu police chase and attack four SO police officers who were wielding machetes around the city. Maafannu police tried to arrest the culprits but the SO officers ran into Iskandhar Koshi where they were protected by SO commander sub-inspector Abdulla Ibrahim,” claimed Nasheed.

Nasheed also criticised the government for its decision to ‘freeze employment’ in an attempt to reduce the ballooning budget deficit.

More than 5000 students are to finish their O levels, said the former president, with a further 2000 completing A levels – suggesting that these groups would be lost to gangs without gainful employment.

“The budget deficit has risen higher than ever before. The government is in huge amounts of debt after selling treasury bills to make ends meet,” continued the MDP leader, referring to the budget deficit which is now believed to exceed MVR4 billion (US$260 million).

He also spoke again of President Abdulla Yameen’s numerous visits to Singapore saying that the President Yameen is carrying out his presidential duties and obligations at a time where the whole country is descending into fear and chaos.

“If President Yameen is ill, we would not criticise these visits. However, the President’s Office has informed the media that the President and the First Lady is in good health, making us question the motive behind trips to Singapore,” said Nasheed.

President Yameen and the first lady have since returned from their unofficial trip.

Nasheed pointed out that the government has taken little to no action when an MDP rally held at Addu City was attacked by masked men wielding batons or when an MDP office in Malé was set on fire by two individuals on motorbikes.

Last night’s rally was held amidst a large number of threats issued against the opposition party. During the party’s last rally in the Malé, MP Eva Abdulla received a message threatening a suicide attack at the next MDP gathering while vowing to ‘fight to the last drop of blood’.

Despite party members continuing to receive threats prior to yesterday’s rally, the event passed without incident. Earlier today (October 26), the MDP held a press conference announcing that over 12,000 new members has signed to the party.

Likes(2)Dislikes(0)

Escaped convicts were on hunt for murder, theft deal, says home minister

Two convicts who escaped from Maafushi Jail on October 16 were apprehended while on a hunt for a deal to commit murder or theft, Home Minister Umar Naseer has said.

Speaking at a ceremony to lay the foundation of a 20-foot wall around Maafushi Jail today, Naseer said Ibrahim Shahum Adam, 23 years, and Fariyash Ahmed, 26 years, had not intended to simply flee from jail, but declined to reveal details of the alleged deal.

Both Shahum and Fariyash were serving life sentences for murder.

Fariyash was apprehended in a café in Malé on October 21. He had shaved his beard, taken off his glasses and was wearing a wig at the time of arrest.

The police then enlisted the help of an armed team of soldiers in the nationwide ‘Operation Gator Hunt’ for Shahum. He was caught the next day in a guesthouse in Malé.

Naseer said Maldives Correctional Services (MCS) officers were not involved in aiding the two convicts escape from jail, but said several inmates had abetted the jailbreak.

The Maldives Police Services have arrested two men on charges of aiding Shahum and Fariyash’s escape. A 32-year-old man was arrested on Thursday and a 20-year-old man was arrested on Friday.

The 20-year-old has a previous record of drugs, theft, harassment and intimidation, and vandalism of property, a police statement on Friday said.

According to the Maldives Police Services, the MCS only noticed the two were missing 24 hours after their escape.

They had sawn off 22 bars on a window in the bathroom of cell number 14 in unit 9 of Maafushi Jail, the police said.

Commissioner of Police Hussein Waheed has attributed Operation Gator Hunt’s success to interagency collaboration within the police.

Naseer today said he would use a dog squad periodically in preventing the entry of illicit drugs into Maafushi Jail.

In addition to the 20-foot wall, surveillance cameras, increased lighting and automatic locks will be used to strengthen security at the jail, he said.

Between 50 and 100 inmates will work for pay in constructing the wall. The MVR4.2 million (US$272,000) wall will stretch for 1.4 kilometers and is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.

The increased security measures will prevent inmates enslaving other inmates and violence within the jail, he added.

Jumhooree Party MP and former Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has called for an independent inquiry into the jailbreak.

Opposition MPs meanwhile contended that the government’s “negligence and irresponsibility” allowed the dangerous criminals to break out from a high security prison.

Likes(3)Dislikes(0)

President appoints three new ambasadors

President Abdulla Yameen has today appointed ambassadors to the European Union, Belgium, China, and Kuwait.

Upon his return from Singapore this morning, Yameen presented a letter of appointment to Ahmed Shiaan – formerly acting high commissioner to the United Kingdom – who will become ambassador to Belgium and the ‎European ‎‎Union.

Additionally, ‎Mohamed Faisal was appointed as ambassador ‎to ‎China, and Abdulla Hameed as non-resident ambassador to Kuwait.

The president also ratified the Bill to Repeal Act on the Detention and Imprisonment of Persons for More than Seven Days, and the Bill on Amendment to the Child Protection Act.

Likes(1)Dislikes(0)

Reeko Moosa unveils plans to contest 2018 presidential primary

Deputy Speaker and Hulhu-Henveiru MP Reeko Moosa Manik revealed plans to contest the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) primary for the 2018 presidential candidacy.

While speaking at an MDP rally held in the carnival area last night, Moosa said the party would discredit any allegations that it has no internal democracy.

Moosa said his resignation as chairperson following the disappointing Majlis election results in March was intended to provide space and opportunity for young politicians to take charge.

“I took a step back from the front lines of the party in order to spend more time with my family after ten years of working tirelessly at the front lines of the party,” said Moosa while speaking about his absence from party activities in the recent months.

When stepping down, Reeko called upon fellow party leaders to follow his example. Former President Mohamed Nasheed made similar suggestions before standing uncontested for the party’s presidency in August.

Likes(3)Dislikes(0)

Masked men chop down city council’s areca palm trees

A group of masked men wielding machetes cut down areca nut palm trees across Malé in the early hours of Friday morning.

Eyewitnesses told local media that the group felled about 25 palm trees planted by the city council in late 2011 on both sides of the capital’s main thoroughfare Majeedhee Magu.

On the previous night, (October 22), two trees in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office and one near the Amity shop were also chopped down.

Credible sources have suggested that the trees were felled by Specialist Operations (SO) police officers in plain clothes, with the incident causing a rift between the SO and capital divisions of the service.

Police have said the incident was reported around 3:30am on Friday morning and that no arrests have been made yet.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party-majority (MDP) city council has since called on the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“This revolting, abhorrent and unlawful act was an injury caused to all citizens of the Maldives and especially the beloved people of Malé,” reads a press release issued by Mayor Mohamed Shihab yesterday.

Such acts would not deter either the council’s efforts to beautify the capital or calls to ensure peace and security, the statement added.

The Indian High Commission had donated the areca palm trees in October 2011.

Former Police Commissioner and sitting Jumhoree Party MP Abdulla Riyaz told local media yesterday that the police should have stopped the group in the act.

If not, he added, police have the competence and the technology to find and arrest the perpetrators, referring to an extensive network of security cameras in the capital.

Rumours of police involvement in the vandalism have circulated online, with a photo purportedly of one of the perpetrators in the act being shared on social media.

Patrolling officers from the capital police command allegedly followed the group, intercepted one cycle and baton charged two suspects.

However, the men fled and were seen entering the police Iskandhar Koshi barracks.

The group allegedly used police radios to verbally abuse the duty officer at the command centre and the SO SWAT team has since been transferred to the training island Feydhoo Finolhu.

The police media official has, however, dismissed the allegations today as baseless and intended to bring the Maldives Police Service into disrepute.

Anti-government protesters cut down the areca palm trees during demonstrations in January 2012 against the MDP government’s decision to detain Criminal Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

Speaking to reporters last night, former President Mohamed Nasheed criticised the failure of police to apprehend the perpetrators despite video and photographic evidence.

“The safety and security of the public have been lost today to an unprecedented extent. This is something we are all very concerned about,” he said.

Likes(2)Dislikes(0)

MDP condemns MNDF decision to cease providing security to MPs

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has condemned the Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) decision to cease providing security to MPs despite continuing death threats.

“We note with concern that security provided by MNDF to members of the People’s Majlis from [October] 20 to 23 was stopped while death threats were made repeatedly to MDP MPs and without the security services investigating the threats and taking action and despite the present danger to the MPs,” read a press statement issued by the main opposition party last night (October 24).

The party contended that providing security to MPs was not optional as Article 105 (b) stipulates that “the security services of the state shall ensure the protection and safety of all members of the People’s Majlis.”

The MDP accused senior officials of the security services of ordering the military to cease providing protection and criticised Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed for failing to ensure the safety of opposition MPs.

The decision was made to intimidate and obstruct opposition MPs from “freely fulfilling their legal responsibilities” as elected representatives, the statement added.

The parliament secretariat sent a text message to MPs on Thursday (October 23) stating that the MNDF would cease providing security as of midnight.

The MNDF informed parliament that the decision was made after assessing the current situation, the message read.

Meanwhile, death threats were sent via text message from an unlisted number to several MDP MPs and senior members yesterday.

“Tomorrow is the last day for all of you. Watch and see. [We] will kill you,” read the message.

An MDP rally is due to take place at the carnival area of Malé tonight.

On October 19, the MNDF urged MPs to stay in at night and offered to provide personal security upon request.

The move followed the escape of two dangerous convicts from Maafushi jail, who were both apprehended in Malé last week.

The MDP said at the time that the MNDF’s offer for protection indicated the “loss of domestic security and extreme levels of fear.”

“It also shows the extent to which senior officials of the government responsible for ensuring public safety and security have lost control of terrorist activities,” the party said in a press release.

A series of attacks against the MDP’s premises and upon the homes of some of its members in late September followed months of death threats, described as too numerous to publicise by the party’s spokesman.

The Inter Parliamentary Union has previously said the government’s reaction to the death threats would be a test of its democratic credentials.

A delegation from the IPU visited the Maldives late last year, requesting an urgent assessment of the political situation following repeated allegations of threats and intimidation against Majlis members.

“The frequent intimidation, harassment and attack of MPs as they go about their work have been deeply worrying,” read an IPU press release after the delegation’s visit last November.

After meeting with the IPU earlier this month, union member and MDP MP Eva Abdulla raised concerns over the personal safety of MPs and journalists in the Maldives.

Eva – who has been in personal receipt of threats against both herself and her family members – also received a threat suggesting the MDP’s next gathering would be targeted by suicide bombers.

A subsequent rally held in Addu City was disrupted by youths with wooden planks and rocks before the party’s office in Hithadhoo was set on fire.

Likes(3)Dislikes(1)

Public should be informed about president’s health, says Nasheed

The Maldivian public should be duly informed about President Abdulla Yameen’s health to allay fears and prevent speculation, former President Mohamed Nasheed has said.

Speaking to reporters last night (October 24) upon returning from a visit to Abu Dhabi and Japan, the opposition leader referred to the President’s Office denying rumours last week of President Yameen undergoing brain surgery in Singapore.

“If the president is unwell, I am certain that all of us would be worried. In my view, giving clear information about it to the public is absolutely essential,” Nasheed said.

President Yameen and First Lady Fathmath Ibrahim departed on an unofficial visit to Singapore on October 15.

“Rumours being spread about the president’s health are false,” President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali tweeted on Thursday (October 23).

Since assuming office in November, Yameen has made numerous unofficial trips to Singapore. The President’s Office has not revealed when the president is expected to return.

Nasheed meanwhile questioned Yameen spending weeks overseas, noting that there were rules for government employees to take leave.

In the absence of answers, Nasheed said “doubt and fear” were increasing.

“We keep hearing that another coup d’etat is developing again in the Maldives. While we keep hearing that, we are seeing the president not fulfilling the responsibilities of his office,” Nasheed claimed.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) as the main opposition party was very concerned about the president’s absence, Nasheed continued, adding that the president should be working at his office to perform his duties to the public.

The MDP’s role as an opposition party was bringing issues to the public’s attention and holding the government accountable through parliament, Nasheed said.

“We are a party that holds peaceful political activities,” he said.

After serving on the panel of judges of the Zayed Future Energy at Abu Dhabi last week, Nasheed delivered the keynote address at the International Bar Association ‘annual conference showcase session on climate change and human rights’ in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Likes(3)Dislikes(0)

Survey team for Malé-Hulhulé bridge arrives in Maldives

A Chinese survey team arrived in the Maldives today (October 25) to conduct a detailed survey for the Malé-Hulhulé  bridge project.

The team which was due to arrive on Thursday (October 23) and start the survey work yesterday is now believed to be starting work on the technical survey in the coming week.

The survey will determine the pier points for the proposed bridge which will link the capital island Malé with the airport island of Hulhulé.

Tourism Minister and Economic Council Co-Chair Ahmed Adeeb told Haveeru last week that the survey is to be completed in the time frame of four months and is conducted with the aid of the Chinese government amounting to US$4 Million.

Adeeb also said that the construction of the bridge, which Chinese President Xi Jinpeng has suggested be called the ‘China-Maldives friendship bridge’, is scheduled to start next year with aims of completion by 2017.

Likes(3)Dislikes(0)