Private broadcaster Raajje TV had its service terminated across the Maldives after intruders broke into the station and cut critical cables in the control room early this morning.
Deputy CEO of Raajje TV Abdulla Yamin told Minivan News that the cables had were vandalised some time between 7:00am and 8:00am.
“We suspect that the attack was by a person who knows this place and the functioning of Raajje TV very well,” Yamin said. “It has caused us millions of rufiya in damage because we have lost our reputation in front of our sponsors.”
Yamin said that the cables will cost more than Rf 100,000 (US$6666) to replace, and that it will take two days before the station can resume broadcasting.
“They shut down the electricity for the whole building which caused our electric lock systems to fail,” he said. “We suspect that either the culprit knows this place very well, or that this was done with the cooperation from a person who knew the place very well.’’
Yamin said the case was reported to police this morning.
‘’Police officers came over today but we have not heard from them since,’’ he added.
Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
Meanwhile, the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation has condemned the attack on Raajje TV and has said that the intention of the attack was to obstruct the freedom of speech and journalism.
The Commission called on police to conduct an investigation into the case at a fast speed, and also called on police to withdraw an earlier decision to stop cooperating with Raajje TV.
On July 24, the police announced they would stop cooperating with Raajje TV, claiming that the opposition-aligned TV station was broadcasting false and slanderous content about the police which had undermined their credibility and public confidence.
The decision came just a day after Raajje TV broadcasted CCTV video footage of some police officers, who the station alleged were “caught on video” while they were stealing petrol from a motorbike parked in a small road in Male’.
Raajje TV also recently aired footage of police pepper-spraying former President Mohamed Nasheed during a protest rally, an act which attracted widespread criticism from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and international groups.
Police in a statement had denied pepper-spraying the former President, and urged the MDP “to publish statements responsibly.”
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We all saw how the culprit like a hired assassin (in Police Uniform) found his mark and sprayed pepper at President Nasheed. There is no need for forensic evidence or whatsoever!
It seemed like the murder of Hamza in the Story of Phrophet Mu'hammadh!
It is sad Raajje TV is off the air! Just mend the damage and get going!
POLICE will only be too happy not to do anything!
No freedom of press under Dicyator Mohamed Waheed Hassan . No one can open their mouth against Mohmaed Waheed Hassan the brutal dictator. Charging criminal offence cases against opposition leader Nasheed and ssinor opposition figures. botto m line under nasheed's regime there was pres freedom like no other country in universe .DHITV and so Called VTV broadcast utter shit those days . Abbas Adil Rizza does not know A dam thing about democracy .brutal regime deserves overseas sanctions .
The brutal dictatorship at work!! Disgusting.
You tube Broadcasts 🙂 you can "Podcast" it these days using laptop if that's not compromised too..
Also let's not point fingers till we are sure Who this was. It was hinted and they were going to give TV stations a hard time.
Diraagu has been attacked in a similar (probably the first in this new war)
keep in mind some actually benefit from Maldivians feuding against one another there's way too many fingers pointing as it is....
Try to understand that ...
kutti Nasheed is bound to have a hand in this.
banana republic !
Vote 1 Dictator, nothing like censorship Maldives style.
These terrorists like Maumoon, Yaamin, and the rest of bagees throats though be cut open on live TV just like Alqaidaa does
@charles Darwin, u really primitive as ir theories!!
This is an attack on all freedom fighters!!, n To all out there who call themselves MALDIVIAN , true men (not pussies, attacing in the dark), real heroes are not chosen, they stand up to brutality, they get beaten n fall, the rise up again,
Raajje TV, slute from a soldier, from a doctor, from a Lawer m all the ppl of the Maldives who are known to rise up against 30 years of oppression ,
we will not be broken, we will never change our stance, MDP has successfully made there stance on international level!!
And in few days all u baaghin will beg for mercy, will beg for a lighter sentence, all of u will cry for being at fault, " sow sow sow, will not be able to help u, cox of not dead they'll be in exile, enjoying there cash, which will be over before they even count it,......then!!!!!!!!
Filthy Uniformed gangsters,, ,,,, shamefully destroying ur uniform honor!!! fools!!!
Right I offer my head on Plater too and
lets start Cutting heads
with spears, knives and what not plunge our selves in to a war much like the one Sri Lanka has come out of recently
and Pay money that "we Dont HAVE" to make shift explosive's
oh and don't worry about the fire we have the sea plenty of water there to put it out
sadly not enough to run around with Tanks
O yes Let's call a/the navy and entertain
the the tourists in to war torn island paradise theme should be great
hmm Plenty of money to be made there I guess all the illegal drugs imported aren't enough for you to make living
lets make it worse you buy cannon and I'll buy a rocket launcher lets get in speed boat and start loot like the Somalians
lets put spy's in companies so you can ruin them from with in
Lets spend our hours Making each other angry, annoyed, verbally abused, harassed and emotionally internet to another feeling
Lets not help the police (the honest one's among them who are actually trying to do a good job) in finding lost kids stopping buglers and Vandalizing public property
Lets drug a twenty year old so he will kill a policeman
Let the children Suffer Psychological Trauma to the point of considering susside out of emotional suffocation from all what i have mentioned above
now lets see what have I missed
Ah yes lets change the FLAG WE don't need the Crescent NOW that country is turmoil lets sell it off in dept
Now now be-careful I am just being sarcastic here ... no need to rush and actually do these things ...oh wait most of its already happening
hmmm lets try and undo that oh wait that country's earning more my doing this stuff its cool we can do it better than them ..
have you reading this noticed a pattern
yes things are comments rephrased
please reflect analyze and view your selves in a mirrored light
I am ashamed of you you as Maldivians and Foreigners are better than this ...
don't you have better things to do then taunt people yes i know you enjoy it but are you guys/ girls getting paid for it? can have price if so?
🙂
this is not the first time broadcast cables were cut.
during nasheed regime, a day before 23rd december demonstration atoll radio cables were cut to prevent it from covering it.
Gayoom's goons strike again!
Minivan better hire foreign security guards to avoid a traitor in its midst trying to silence it also.
rajje tv should now have steel cables. PPM MP Ilham did break the cable last year. police did cut the live signal cable twice this year and again last night the same...my question here is where is mr hirigaa zahir who has self is trying to show the world that he is a media freedom fighter...where is all media watch doogs, khaleel, shaheeb wake up...
The act itself should be condemned by any and all.
The responsible parties are however not yet known.
So don't let's get carried away by speculation.
This was carried out by the state (police). How can they investigate themselves. The commissioner told the media that he will not protect Raaje TV.
MDP Proesteds have disrupted VTV and DhiTV cables many times in the past. They even vandalized those TV stations and put one of them on fire as well once. They have attackes VTV cameraman as well once. Those news never got attention like this on MN. So whats the big haa hoo about Raajje TV cables now? Is it because its pro MDP and pro terroris Nasheed? I find most people who write the comments here a disgrace, so biased and blind towards Nasheed and his MDP thugs. I don't feel sorry for Raajje TV at all. Do hell with all these politicians and their sponsored media outlets in his country.
i agree, no tv station ever should be attacked, whether VTV,MTV,Or Raajje TV, n all other media outlets,,, Free Media,
But Free responsible media,!!! The surprising thing other local, including state medi is how short sighted, ignorant, n totally biased their reports are, so if Waheed n his 40 thrives have 3 channels,Nasheed n his party got one,, But look at the contrast!!!
one channel brings what people need to know!!
all other 3 are bringing what people don't want to hear!! Why? Coz Everyone saw what happened to this country after 7th Feb, n no one likes it, Even a lil bit gentlemen !!!!!
so theatrical !!!!
Raajje TV is the victim here,,,, HELLO!!!!!
If anyone is destroying this country it's those who call themselves law officers, trying to enforce a law, when their law issuing order is yet to be ligetimised!!! oh!!
if police wants to do a good job, here is what they need to do, Free all political detainees,Stop vandalising public property,Start respecting Nasheed as any leader was or will be respected, no difference!, start giving media protection!, start respecting everyone with a genuine, honest smile that if any order, it's not yours, it's your superiors, but don't hit, coz even if ur superior asks you to hit anyone, or inflict injury, it's your ass man!, n above all, respect this month, this holy month of forgiveness , may be Allah will forgive your sins to your country!! Ameen!!
Condemn this act? No, we should follow our Parliament.
We should promote violence, vandalism and ensure maximum disruption. Go Go Go...
Reminds me of the day the hooligans took over MNBC
Kutti Nasheed is be hid this attacks.. its for certain.. he couldn't handle freedom of expression then and not now.. you are beyzaaru my friend
Bhagee Gayoum behind this, must be garroted at once!
Charles darwin has gone mad, talking about Kutti Nasheed in every post. Your obsession with thinking every comment on this forum is from Kutti Nasheed indicates signs of borderline mental unstability. I suggest you seek urgent medical attention from a professional psychiatrist before the voices in your head start to grow louder. Quick before its too late.