Tag: abdul hameed

Parole board pardons former MP Abdul Hameed

Former independent MP for Kaashidhoo, MP Abdul Hameed, has been granted clemency by the parole board, local media reports.

State Home Minister Mohamed Fayaz was reported as stating that MP Hameed had implemented one third of his sentence before he requested the parole board grant him clemency.

The Criminal Court last year sentenced Ismail Abdul Hameed to one year and six months banishment after he was found guilty of corruption.

The Prosecutor General pressed corruption charges against Hameed alleging that he had abused his authority as the former Director of Waste Management at the Male’ municipality to financially benefit a Singaporean company, named Island Logistics, in a deal to purchase a barge.

According to local media reports, Judge Abdulla Didi noted in the verdict at the time that the agreement stipulated that the barge was to be delivered within 90 days of signing the agreement, upon which 50 percent of the value was to be paid to Island Logistics.

Although the barge arrived in the Maldives on October 23, 2008, Hameed had however signed a document claiming that the barge was delivered on schedule on April 28, 2008.

The judge ruled that Hameed’s actions were intentional and in violation of the Anti-Corruption Act.

The case was appealed at the High Court and the Supreme Court, however the superior courts upheld the Criminal Court’s decision.

Until today the government had been telling the local media that Hameed was held under house arrest because an island for his banishment had not yet been determined.

The State Home Minister has said that his verdict was implemented by placing him under house arrest, as that was how banishment had been implemented lately because island councils had refused to accpet banished people.

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PPM MP Mahloof calls on Waheed to give up Kaashidhoo seat to Jabir

MP and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Spokesperson Ahmed Mahloof has called on Mohamed Waheed, the party’s candidate for the Kaashidhoo seat in parliament, to remove himself from an upcoming by-election.

Mahloof told Haveeru yesterday that Waheed had been asked to remove his name from the election in order to leave the seat to the Jumhoory Party’s (JP) Abdulla Jabir.

The JP and PPM are in a coalition along with five other parties in the current government coalition and both parties have reportedly disagreed over who is to run for the vacant Kaashidhoo seat in parliament.

Mahlouf has told the press that Jabir was more likely to win the by-election because Jabir has been working on the development of the Kaashidhoo area for a while and that if Waheed was to contend with him in the election, it could be an advantage for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

He also said all the members of the PPM Council, except for six individuals, do not want Waheed to run in this by-election.

Meanwhile, PPM Council member Dr Mohamed Saudh has resigned from the party after its leadership said that they did not support Waheed.

Saudh has told local newspaper ‘Sun’ that it was against the party’s spirit and charter to discourage a party member running for an election while expressing support for another organisation.

Waheed is a prominent lawyer who has represented former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on several collections.  He work has included helping the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and PPM in almost all of the court cases filed in the court relating to their affairs whilst they were in opposition.

Last year, the Criminal Court sentenced Independent MP for Kaashidhoo, Ismail Abdul Hameed, to one year and six months banishment after he was found guilty of abusing his authority for financial gain to a third party.

Under article 73(c)(3) of the constitution, MPs found guilty of a criminal offence “and sentenced to a term of more than twelve months” would be stripped of their seat.

Waheed did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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