Tag: attack

DQP MP Riyaz Rasheed attacked, party alleges

The Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has alleged that DQP MP Riyaz Rasheed was attacked last night while he was on his way home after attending a meeting.

A crowd gathered around Riyaz’s car demanding he get out of it, and assaulted him when he did so, Haveeru reported.

DQP today issued a press release saying it “was possible” that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik “was behind the attack”.

“The fact that the attack came a few days after former MDP Parliamentary group leader Moosa gave a warning to Riyaz, it is possible that the attack has some connection with the warning,” the DQP claimed.

DQP said that Riyaz Rasheed was the MP who had submitted “the most number of bills to the parliament,” an MP that had been “criticising the government publicly” and that there had been “many attempts made to silence his voice.”

“The government has repeatedly attempted to stop Riyaz from his work against corruption in this government, by trying to bribe him, threatening him and by torturing him,” the DQP alleged.

Meanwhile, MDP Chairperson and MP Moosa Manik said he believed that DQP Dr Hassan Saeed was behind the attack “if they are blaming it on me.”

“Dr Hassan Saeed and Riyaz have been disturbing me and my family for a long time,” Moosa said. “And because that does not satisfy them, they are now blaming me for this.”

Moosa said he had “never attacked anyone physically or mentally.”

“I call on the police to investigate and find out on what grounds they are making this accusations on me,” he said.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the matter had been reported to police, who were investigating.

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Police investigating apparent torture and murder of Bangladeshi man on Fuvahmulah

A 25 year-old Bangladeshi man has been found dead in a ditch in Fuvahmulah, with signs suggesting he had been tortured prior to death.

The body of the man, identified by island authorities as ‘Shareef’ who worked as a carpenter in Dhoodigamu ward, was found with his hands tied behind his back and with wire around his neck.

Fuvamulah Island Councillor Ahmed Shareef told Minivan News that the Bangladeshi man was last seen alive two days ago on June 28 at 8:00pm.

”He was with his colleagues at work and left late that night,” Councillor Shareef said. ”Because he was late for work [the next day], his colleagues went to his house and noted that he was missing.”

Councillor Shareef said the body of the carpenter was discovered yesterday by a farmer near his property.

“He had severe injuries to his head, neck and wounds all over his body,” the councillor said. ”He had lots of cash with him and he was about to leave to Bangladesh for vacation. It seems someone robbed him of the money and attacked him.”

Vice President of Fuvahmulah Atoll Council Ali Fazad told newspaper Haveeru that Shareef had injuries around his ears from a sharp object, and appeared to have bled profusely from a blow to the head.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said it was too early in the investigation to confirm motives for the attack, but said that two Bangladeshi nationals had been arrested in connection with the incident, based on information obtained by Fuvahmulah police.

“The body was not far decomposed so [the attack] may have happened recently. We are waiting on the medical report,” Shiyam said.

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Expatriate slashed with machete

An expatriate man was badly injured after he was attacked with a machete in Henveiru Park in Male’ yesterday evening, reports Haveeru.

Police said they had no leads on the attack on the man, who was reportedly a food cart worker.

SunFM reported that a group of men asked the expatriate for a cigarette, and attacked him when he refused.

The injured man was taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in a police car.

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MNBC journalist suffers gash to hand in knife attack

A journalist with the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) has been released from hospital after suffering a two-inch gash on his hand in a knife attack early this morning.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News that Mohamed Sodiq was attacked by two men on a motorcycle.

“We received a report that he was being treated and the attack was not serious, Shiyam said, adding that police were currently unable to say whether the attack was connected with Sodiq’s work, gang-related, or a random assault.

Minivan News understands that Sodiq works primarily as a sports reporter.

Head of the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir, said that Sodiq was attacked after leaving his office at 3:30am in the morning, while on his way home.

“We have met with the police commissioner and voiced our concern, not only about the safety of journalists but people in society as a whole,” Hiriga said, adding that a lack of security would affect the work of journalists.

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20 year-old man found dead after attempted robbery of Baros Island Resort

One person is dead after an attempted robbery of Baros Island Resort and Spa early this morning, after a group of Maldivians arrived in a boat and were confronted by staff.

Police spokesperson Sub-Inspector Ahmed Ali confirmed that police were called around 4:00am this morning and are investigating the incident.

“A group of people went to the island and had a confrontation with staff. Staff at the resort held the suspects,” he said, confirming that they were Maldivian nationals. “When police arrived there was a body in front of the jetty.”

Sub-Inspector Ali declined to provide further details until the conclusion of the investigation.

General Manager of Baros, Jonathan Blitz, said the resort could not comment on the matter as it was under police investigation.

Minivan News understands that the deceased is 20 year-old Ali ‘Immortal’ Shafiu.

According to sources familiar with the incident, Shafiu was among a group of four masked men who arrived on the island at 3:30am.

He allegedly drowned while attempting to escape in one of the resort’s vessels, after security staff spotted the intruders.

One of the suspects was apprehended by resort staff, while the remaining two were arrested by police when they were found hiding in a resort boat in the lagoon.

It is not known if the men were armed, however no staff member or guest on the island was harmed during the incident, Minivan News was told.

Friends of the victim in Male’ who were present when the body was brought to hospital claimed Shafiu was dead when he was pulled from the water. The body appeared to have three head wounds, one of them “one and a half inches deep”, the source claimed.

The three remaining men are now under police custody.

Baros is the second Maldivian resort this year to suffer an attempted robbery by people from outside the island.

In Janurary, staff at Kihaadhuffaru in Baa Atoll were threatened by a group of masked men brandishing machetes and swords, who escaped in a dingy with the resort’s safe.

A receptionist was reportedly gagged with tape and restrained with a cable tie during the incident.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said at the time that he did not believe resorts would need to review existing security measures in light of the Kihaadhuffaru theft.

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DRP to hold gathering to commemorate ‘Victory Day’

The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has announced it will hold a special gathering tonight to celebrate ‘Victory Day’, a public holiday held in remembrance of those who died in the November 3 coup attempt in 1988.

The Maldives was attacked by 80 armed mercenaries linked to the Sri Lankan terrorist group, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom requested Indian intervention and 1600 paratroopers were deployed to the Maldives. 19 people were killed in the fighting, including several hostages taken by the mercenaries.

The escaping mercenary vessel was intercepted by the Indian Navy frigates INS Godavari and INS Betwa.

“We will gather and march in the main roads of Male’, said DRP MP Ahmed Nihan. “People who are attending are requested to wear black clothing because it was a dark and saddening day for the Maldives.”

Nihan criticised the government for not commemorating the day “as they should be”, accused several senior members of the government of collaborating with the mercenaries, and further claimed that the Maldives secured its own independence before the intervention of the Indian government.

“Anyone is welcome to join our gathering tonight, it is remembrance of the martyrs who passed away in the attack, and the black clothing resembles the sadness and darkness Maldivians were in back then,’’ he added.

Nihan said the gathering would begin at 8:45pm at the Artificial Beach and continue for an hour.

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Police clash with journalists during opposition protests

Several journalists from different media organisations have reported violent police attacks on journalists covering the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP)-led protest last night.

The protest began last night as a gathering in front of party’s head office, but degenerated into a riot when protesters marched to the President’s official residence of Muleeage.

Police attempted to restrict the activists from going any further when they reached Sosun Magu, but demonstrators broke through police lines and continued their march.

A journalist from Miadhu, Three journalists from DhiTV, two journalists from VillaTV, one from newspaper Miadhu and a photographer from Haveeru reported they were attacked by the police.

The two journalists from VillaTV were also arrested, handcuffed, and released the same evening.

Editor of DhiTV Midhath Hilmy claimed that three journalists from DhiTV were injured during the riot.

“One was hit by a tear gas canister and his head was bleeding, another journalist’s leg was injured,” said Midhath. “Police hit another DhiTV journalist three times in a chest with a baton.”

Midhath said all the journalists from DhiTV was wearing their press identification and were carrying video cameras.

Police were the persons supposed to protect the journalists, Midhath said, adding that he regretted the police attacks and hoped it would not occur next time.

‘’According to video footage take by journalists, I can see police have tried to stop the coverage and sometimes had covered the camera by putting their hands on it,’’ he said. “They also ordered the media to stop the coverage.’’

Editor of Miadhu Abdul ‘Gabbe’ Latheef told Minivan News that according to the injured Miadhu journalist, the police attacked her with baton while she was showing them her press card.

‘’She told me that some of the police referred to her rudely, while other police officers provided assistance to her,’’ said Latheef. “The media should condemn these actions.”

Latheef said he understood that the police were in a difficult situation and  “had communication errors and difficulty identifying journalists.”

‘’The case should be investigated by an independent body,’’ he added.

Local media reported that police actions were violent and hostile, and that police attacked the journalists deliberately while they were staying in the area police officers had advised them to remain in.

However, Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam denied the claims and said some of the journalists working in the area had begun to show the characteristics as the opposition activists and engaged in hostile confrontations with the police.

‘’Some journalists opposed police orders and refused to stay in the security zone,” Shiyam said. “It would have gone smoothly if they had worked according to the orders,’’ said Shiyam. “Some journalists who opposed the police were moved away by using force.’’

He also claimed that journalists had tried to break the police lines and pass through the cordon. A Minivan News journalist was meanwhile obstructed from entering the area to cover the incident.

President of the Maldives Journalist Association Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir described the incident as “a black day for journalism in the Maldives”, and claimed that at least nine reporters were attacked by police with batons and shields.

“We will investigate each and every injury and ask journalists to send us their accounts of the incident.”

While those injured “were members of the mainstream media, reputable journalists”, Hiriga said he had heard reports that there might have been other journalists in the area “from an underground website”.

“It is an issue and some people have argued that the government should issue media accreditation,” Hiriga said. “The MJA doesn’t agree the government should do this – it needs to be an independent body.”

Image courtesy Maldives Journalists Association.

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Government decreases sentences of Sultan Park bombers under Clemency Act

The government has confirmed it has commuted the sentences of two of the three convicted terrorists responsible for the 2007 bombing of Sultans Park in Male’, under the Clemency Act.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said the pair, identified by local media as Ahmed Naseer and Mohamed Sobah, were “not granted clemency, but had their sentences decreased.”

The two men had their sentences changed from incarceration to three year suspended sentences under observation.

”Their punishment was delayed by the lawful offering of a suspended punishment,” said Zuhair, indicating that “they will be well observed.”

Naseer and Sobah were convicted for 15 years on charges of terrorism, ”but they were not the people who were in charge of doing this, they did not having the highest involvement,” Zuhair said.

He added that the government wished to “provide an opportunity for everyone to be involved in the society, and the opportunity to rehabilitate and recover.”

The bomb attack near the Sultan Park was the first such incident to occur in the Maldives and received widespread publicity around the globe, damaging the tourism industry.

The incident occurred on September 29 2007 in Sultans Park,  near the Islamic Centre.

The homemade bomb, which consisted of a gas cylinder, a washing machine motor and a mobile phone, injured 12 foreign tourists several seriously.

The tourists hurt included eight from China, two from Britain, and two from Japan.

10 Maldivians and two foreigners were arrested in connection with the case, and in December that year three men confessed in court and were sentenced to 15 years prison.

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MDP head office damaged in alleged arson attack

The head office of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) suffered almost Rf 1 million in damage in an alleged arson attack last night, according to managing operator Ibrahim Manik.

”Photocopy machines, fax machines, printers, huge speakers, microphones, cloths and flags were burned in the arson attack at around 12:45am, last night after the MDP rally,” Manik claimed.

The arson attack caused more than Rf 900,000 (US$70,o00) in damage to the office.

Manik said that when he came back from dinner after the rally, some of the MDP supporters present at the head office claimed to have heard something hitting the roof.

”So we checked the area, because recently some people on different occasions have attempted to attack us with petrol bombs,” Manik claimed. ”We checked but did not see anything, but after a while we started smelling smoke in the area so I went to check the depository room.”

Manik said he saw clothes in the room on fire, and ”I called the people outside and told them the place was on fire.”

”We started to evacuate the room, but everything was destroyed after we evacuated. We controlled the fire using a water tap, but it was a dangerous attack and it caused us to lose much of our valuable property.”

Manik claimed the fire was the result of an attack orchestrated by “some opponents.”

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the case was reported to police, who were now investigating the case. Nobody has been arrested in connection with the matter, he said.

Recently a group of people attacked and destroyed the glass windows of shops belonging to Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) deputy leader Ibrahim Shareef.

In another incident, a group of people attacked the house and car belonging to People’s Alliance [PA] leader and MP Abdulla Yameen.

Very recently during an MDP protest, protesters threw stones at the house of Deputy Leader of PA Ahmed Nazim, breaking the window of the house’s first floor at midnight.

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