The Prosecutor General (PG) has filed drug related charges against Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) senior figures arrested on Hondaidhoo Island in November last year in alleged possession – and under the influence – of illegal substances.
Criminal Court Media Official Ahmed Mohamed Manik today told Minivan News that the PG had charged MPs Abdulla Jabir and Hamed Abdul Ghafoor, and a person identified as Jadhulla Jameel, with smuggling alcohol into the country and consuming alcohol.
According to Manik, the PG has also forwarded additional charges against other individuals arrested from Hondaidhoo.
Jabir, Ghafoor, and Jadhulla Jameel were also charged for objecting to urine testing and possessing of cannabis.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair and his wife Mariyam Faiza were also charged for objecting to take a urine test, said Manik.
Additionally, the son of former President Nasheed’s Special Envoy, Mohamed Hamdhoon Zaki, has been charged for trafficking illegal drugs into the country – the penalty for which is 25 years and can be fined up to MVR10million.
According to the Drug Act, Sections 123(a), 161(a), and 161(b), any person arrested on suspicion of having abused alcohol or narcotics has an obligation to comply with police requests for routine urine examination by promptly providing urine samples, and failure to comply is a criminal offence punishable with a one-year jail sentence.
A total of 10 people were taken into police custody on November 16 after police raided and searched Hondaidhoo with a court warrant. Officers alleged they found large amounts of suspected drugs and alcohol upon searching the island.
Two Sri Lankan nationals named Raj Mohan and Anoor Bandaranayk, as well as a Bangladeshi named Suhail Rana, were taken into custody following the island raid. Their cases have not been filed at the PG’s office.
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Jabir will go free. He has protection.
Politically motivated!
This is just a show, a charade.
Nothing will happen in Maldives even if a minister smoke pot In Cabinet session with colleagues, as long as he has a resort
Religious fear is used to negate the sense of democratic accountability which is necessary to reign in the tyrannical lusts of the rulers. Paradox, law existing so the rulers can be above the law. These guys are no longer the rulers.
Question is why has everyone involved in investigating and prosecuting this case been delaying this until this very moment?
There is indeed no doubt, this is politically motivated to the hilt, even if these people were really at it!
Resort owning businessmen with the right connectiond, now you just have to support the right political party and voila, suddenly the laws become very fkexible.
Hilarious. Ali Hameed, the sex maniac, continues to sit on the Supreme Court bench. Fahmy the alleged sexual harasser continues to keep his job, stupendous salary and benefits. We have reached the high point of development, haven't we?
Please people!
This is not about MDP politicians, this is about known drunkards getting bust drinking in a private island. Everyone who has seen the video knows what state they were in when they were arrested. Every Maldivian knows Jabir and Zaki drinks and there are many photos of them drinking liqour in parties. This is not a big secret.
In Maldives drinking liqour is prohibited. This piece of law was NOT created by Adhaalath or Shaheem. This law was there from the very beginning. So how about letting the law take its course? Or shall we bend the law to let these MDP politicians escape? Is that what is meant by the scale of justice in MDP flag?
Why can't the seculars be fair? You can be a secular or even a kaafir and still be just, cannot?
@human being
What do you propose we do with the Police for not arresting all the hundreds of maldivians they know drink and take drugs?
@human being... Fairness, that's what I am on about. Why are the many known drinkers in other parties also not arrested? Do you really believe these guys are being arrested for the sake of upholding religious law as honestly as possible? Do you remember they were warned for not supporting waheed in parliament about a week before this happened. The point is, this is about creating a climate of fear for those against the government, not about being just. If we were just, 100 percent of adult population would be arrested because we have all lusted for something that is forbidden., and would have succumbed to temptation in our weak moments.! And, as you know, we are judged according to our niyat. Our niyat has been sinful, even if we don't have the power these guys have to fulfill their lusts/. So, yes, it is about justice.
Sadly, it is about making sure that any who think about challenging the government, are too frightened to do so again. Otherwise many from other parties would also be arrested. That's not fair. It's not just. It means the rulers are above being challenged so that they can get away with whatever greed, drugs, illicit sex they like, all paid for by fleecing the citizens of their money. If this were about justice, it would be about being angry that these guys have wasted money on their own pleasure and indulgence which should have been given to the oppressed. But, sadly, very sadly, this is not about justice. It is about vengeance, and the pursuit of power.
In Maldives it is an open secret that over 50% of the adult population do consume either alcohol or drugs. It is kind of accepted that fact and we have started treating those who use drugs as sick people and not as criminals because nearly 36% of the youth in our country have become addicted and therefore hardly get prosecuted or punished for their crimes. In regard to alcohol abuse like in middle eastern countries we ignored the matter as long as they consume their liquor in private and did not make a fool of himself in public. But if ever a reason is required to intimidate somebody for going against the ruling party then suddenly the machine shall be kick started to bring the whole weight of state power on the alleged perpetrators so they can be either be forced to toe the line or be punished so they can be eliminated from the scene. I remember during the 30 years of Gayyoom almost every citizen had a case filed in the NSS as it was called then and if there was no serious offense recorded at least a simple case as riding a bicycle with out a light will be dug out and sentenced for 6 months banishment. So folks just digest it. Our laws will be implemented when and if necessary basis only. We are in a pathetic situation with every criminal having a gala time for not needing to face a punishment for their crimes and with the kind of judges who are under few powerful individuals control, we see no light at the end of the tunnel. May Allah bless our nation
Guys, why not do things that bear fruit. Everybody knows this will just wane into nothing. Probably a word out of place in the charge-document, will be taken out of context and would take 3 months back and forth before being corrected. By then, 1001 other crimes would have been committed. By then new government will pardon the offences.
Talk about working smart!
When Makkah educated fornicating judges sit on the SC bench, how can we expect justice? LOL. So much for divine law.
When police come they come with cannabis and implant them on individuals.
I have seen our current president enjoy a glass of wine. Hen arrest him too!!
From the videos that were aired when Jabir and Zaki were arrested on Hondaidhoo, we all knew that they were either drunk or intoxicated and not in their senses. Zaki was speaking in funny slurred speeech and Jabir was talking funny. Zaki was swaying back and forth smiling giddy. We all knew that they both were either drunk or stoned. From the Photographs, Hamidh didnt seem drunk, but kind of emberrassed in the Photos where the rooms alcohol bottles were found. Also the fact that they refused to give a urine test proved they were drunk, and they knew if they gave the test and the results came back positive, they would have nowhere to hide, that is why Zaki and Jabi refused to give the urine sample.
The issue here is not prosecuting Hamidh and zaki and Jabir and not prosecuting others but of the incapability of MDP members to accept that Jabir and Zaki were drunk. MDP members simply refuse to accept that Zaki or Jabir were drunk, because that would seriously diminish the credibility of MDP.
Even my Dad has previously on several occassions accepted that it was a known fact that Zaki and Jabir consume alcohol. Yet on the day that this news report came on TV, he outright called this report a lie, and has since then never admitted to his previous acceptance that many people believed that Zaki had always drunk alcohol. Whenever i mention this fact, he gets upset and says he never said that, and it is a lie, and Zaki is one of the most honourable people in the country.
This is how politics changes us.
If a crime is committed by a person from a party who we support, then even though there is so much evidence proving his guilt, (such as videos of him having sex are there online), we Maldivians will never accept that. A crime is a crime to us Maldivians only when it is committed by someone from another party. Take Humams case for example, there are people who will label him as a saint having done no wrong ever in his life, and try to defend him and label him as a victim, even though he is a convicted criminal. Yet for political reasons some sympathize with him and try to label him guiltless.
We Maldivians chose to intrepret as the truth, only when the truth suits our personal agenda or satisfaction.
A crime should be a crime no matter who committed it. We should stop defending criminals, no matter how significant a political position they hold in a party which we support. Support the party, dont support the crimes of people in the Political Party !
The police should also arrest president Waheed because he is also an alcohol consumer. even more notorious in drinking alcohol during wild parties are relatives of his wife. I know, and we hosted the president on several occasions.