Category: News in Brief

MDA slams former governments over sanitation

The Maldivian Development Alliance (MDA) yesterday (February 9) slammed successive governments over what it claimed was a failure to address sanitation issues across the country, while also calling for greater respect of police and military officers by the public.

MDA Interim Leader MP Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam was reported by his Sun Online media organisation as claiming that a need for increased health spending in recent years was a direct result of a failure to address sanitation issues across the country.

The comments were made during a rally to try and boost party members on Noonu Atoll Kedhikolhudhoo.

Government corruption under successive regimes was highlighted by Shiyam as a key reason for a failure to address healthcare concerns in the country’s outer atolls, as well as the provision of clean water supplies for residents.

He contended that money raised through taxation reforms over the last two years was not therefore being adequately invested to nationally address water pollution and other preventative healthcare measures.

Sun Online also reported MDA Interim Deputy Leader Aishath Rafiyya as claiming during the party’s campaigning on Kedhikolhudhoo that the public should show their appreciation and loyalty to the country’s police and military officers.

With senior defence figures rejecting allegations of police brutality at the time of the controversial transfer of power last year, Aishath stressed that security forces had been well trained and operated in the country with “honesty and loyalty”.  She added that their work required the appreciation of the public.

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Tourism Minister confident to meet 2013 one million tourist target

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb has claimed the Maldives will post one million tourist arrivals in 2013 after falling narrowly short of the mark last year.

Adheeb told local media that the government had “re-set” its sights on the one million arrival target that was set in 2012.

Last year, a total of 958,027 tourists arrived in the Maldives, with visitor numbers showing an eventual improvement despite the negative impact on the industry from political uncertainty in February.

“I really believe we can bring one million tourists to Maldives. We can very much confirm that when January and February end,” he was quoted as saying in local newspaper Haveeru.

The Tourism Minister said that with Chinese New Year being celebrated this month, the Maldives would see an unprecedented boost in arrivals, local media reported.

“As the Maldives market is based in China, large numbers of tourists come here to celebrate the Chinese New Year. I will say that Maldives’ New Year is already here,” he added.

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NDA head calls for drug smugglers to receive death penalty

National Drug Agency (NDA) Chairperson Lubna Zahir has called for individuals found to be importing illegal narcotics into the Maldives to face the death penalty, local media has reported.

Speaking on state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM), Lubna was reported as saying  that the death penalty should be imposed for those who bring drugs into the country, adding that it needs to be in the same category as murder.

The comments were made after the recent deaths of a number of individuals who had taken a fake version of LSD circulated in the Maldives.

“We can only prevent drugs from coming into the Maldives by implementing the death penalty against them. Importing drugs is not a less serious crime,” Lubna was quoted by the Sun Online news service as telling the state broadcaster.  “One solution to this is to implement the death penalty against those who bring in drugs and commit murder.”

Lubna requested parliament to include the death penalty as the most severe punishment for drug smugglers, when passing relevant laws.

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Presidential power struggle in the Maldives: South Asia Journal

The detention of the judge had provided the spark for a police and military mutiny – labelled by many a coup d’etat – which resulted in Nasheed’s departure from office on February 7, 2011, writes Daniel Bosley for the South Asia Journal.

“Alleging his resignation had come under duress, Nasheed and his supporters took to the streets the following day where they were met with brutal suppression by a police force which has yet to be brought to account for the numerous human rights abuses that ensued.

The Kafkaesque legal polemics when Nasheed was forcefully brought before the court for the first hearing in October hinted at deeper issues which underscore the country’s recent crises. Contending legal opinions suggested an illegal arrest warrant had been used, from an illegally assembled court, to bring an illegally removed president to trial, for the illegal detention of an illegal judge.

This labyrinthine situation indicates the urgent need for police and judicial reform in a struggling democracy which is looking increasingly rudderless. After months of political deadlock, street demonstrations, accusation and counter-accusation, Nasheed’s trial presents an opportunity to bring the political crisis back to where it began, with the judiciary and the criminal justice system.

Read more

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Criminal Court fines man MVR 5000 for possession of crossbow

The Criminal Court has fined a man MVR 5000 (US$350) after the state charged him with possessing a contraband object.

According to local media, the man was arrested with a crossbow used to catch fish.

The Criminal Court stated that the man had confessed he was in possession of the weapon.

The court said that he had told the judge that he got the weapon from a group of Spanish tourists who visited the Maldives in July 2011.

However, the Criminal Court ruled that he was unable to prove it in court.

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Car crashes into shop in Male’

A car has crashed into ‘Zee Mart’ located on Lonuziyaarai Magu in Male’, according to a report by police.

According to police, the car was travelling at high speed when it crashed into the shop, causing severe damage to both the shop and the car.

Police said there were no casualties reported.

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Girl sexually harassed in toilet of Hulhumale’ ferry terminal

A young girl was sexually harassed inside the toilet of Hulhumale’ ferry terminal in Male’ on Tuesday night, according to Sun Online.

According to ‘Sun’, the girl was seen walking outside the ferry terminal crying, and called a family member.

Police were called to area  but the man had already fled, Sun reported.

No arrest was made in connection with the case, however the matter is under investigation.

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HSBC unveils new CEO for Sri Lanka, Maldives operations

The HSBC bank group has unveiled the identity of its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who will oversee the company’s business interests in Sri Lanka and the Maldives from later this year, according to media reports.

Patrick Gallagher, present CEO for the multinational banking giant’s operations in Bahrain, will take up the same role for the company within the Indian Ocean nations from April 30, 2013, the Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror newspaper has reported.

If the appointment receives regulatory approval, Gallagher will be replacing Nick Nocolau as the CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Gallager has headed up HSBC’s operation in Bahrain since November 2009.

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Dead body found on Hulhumale’

Police have reported the discovery of dead body lying on a street in Hulhumale’ at 4:45am early on Tuesday morning.

The police identified the body as 19 year-old Mohamed Shahud Nazim, of Mercury House in Maafannu Ward, Male’.

In a statement, police said doctors at the hospital had told police that he was dead when he was brought to the hospital.

According to police, two men were standing next to the body when is was discovered. Police said the two men were intoxicated and were arrested.

The police have not yet confirmed the cause of the death, however, local media have reported the man’s family as stating that he died of a heart attack.

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