Category: News in Brief

ACC to investigate two subsidiary companies registered under BML

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had said it will investigate two subsidiary companies registered under Bank of Maldives (BML).

ACC President Hassan Luthfy told local media that BML has been notified to halt operations of both the BML Properties Limited and BML Investment Limited.

Luthfy said the company has at present failed to provide documents on the two subsidiaries that it had requested, local media reported.

“We have been informed of problems related to the two companies through the media, and investigations are under way,” he was quoted as saying.

“Complaints include the issue of the chairman holding shares in the company, and the issue of efforts to manage mortgaged property instead of selling them as ordered by the court. Some people have also complained saying that their mortgages have been sold, and that their cases were not dealt with in the same manner.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

MMPRC targets Turkish tourism potential at regional travel fair

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) last week participated in the 2013 Eastern Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Fair (EMITT) as part of attempts to boost the destination’s reputation in emerging markets like Turkey.

Some 27 representatives from the country’s tourism industry took part in the event, which ran from January 24 to January 27, according to the MMPRC.

Despite having attended the show on numerous occasions before, the promotion board stated that huge growth potential was anticipated in the number of tourists from Turkey coming to the country – particularly with Turkish Airlines recently commencing five weekly services between Istanbul and Male’.

Citing official Tourism Ministry figures, the MMPRC said that 5,416 visitors from Turkey arrived in the Maldives during 2012, a 19.2 percent when compared to the same period the previous year

In December 2012 alone, the official figures indicated 802 Turkish nationals had travelled to the country, a 188.5 percent boost over the same period in 2011. Despite this growth, Turkey was found to account for 0.6 percent of the country’s tourism market in 2012.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Foreign Minister admits Maldives’ ties with India weakened after GMR Dispute

Foreign Minister Abdul Samad Abdulla has admitted relations between India and Maldives have deteriorated following the premature cancellation of the GMR airport development contract.

Samad’s comments came after Maldivians were left struggling to obtain Indian visas following a clamp down by Indian authorities, shortly after GMR was ousted from the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

Speaking at the parliament’s Government Accountability Committee, Samad was reported by local media as saying that despite official assurances that ties between Maldives and India remained unaffected, “the ground reality is to the contrary”.

“Maldives and India has long existing close ties. But the recent tensions especially the GMR spat has affected the relations even though both sides have not said so officially.

“After these things surfaced we have been anticipating the backlash. I don’t want anything unexpected to come to pass that causes difficulties for Maldivians. We are working in two ways. One is to repair the damage done to the relations and come to a mutual agreement on certain things,” Samad was quoted as saying in local newspaper Haveeru.

State Foreign Minister Hassan Saeed said that during the weekly sit-downs with the Indian High Commission in the Maldives, unilateral actions on the part of Maldives were constantly highlighted.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Home Minister Dr Jameel appointed acting Minister of Economic Development

Minister of Home Affairs Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has been appointed as acting Minister of Economic Development, the President’s Office has announced.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik appointed Jameel to the position pending the return of Minister Ahmed Mohamed, who is on an official visit abroad.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Cases against MDP MPs Jabir and Ghafoor to be forwarded to PG’s Office this week

Cases against MDP MPs Abdulla Jabir and Hamid Abdul Ghafoor are to be forwarded the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office this week, Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz has said.

The commissioner told local media the cases to be forwarded to the PG’s Office are in regard to both Jabir and Ghafoor’s refusal to provide a urine sample after they were arrested under suspicion of drinking alcohol in November 2012.

Police Commissioner Riyaz was quoted as saying that the case against Ghafoor is also in relation to a previous occasion whereby he refused to provide urine sample after being arrested for obstructing police duty at a protest.

The Drug Act states that the punishment for a person who refuses to provide urine sample when requested by the police is imprisonment for one year, local media reported.

Jabir and Ghafoor were arrested on suspicion of alcohol consumption during a special operation carried out on the island of Hodaidhoo in Haa Dhaal Atoll. Both MPs were subsequently released by Kulhudhuffushi Magistrate Court.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Pakistan football squad to face Maldives in preparation for tournament qualifiers

Pakistan’s national football team is to tour the Maldives in February ahead of attempts to qualify for the 2014 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup, according to media reports.

The Express Tribune news service has reported that the Pakistan squad will play matches both in Nepal and the Maldives as part of back-to-back tours later next month.  Pakistan will start its campaign to qualify for the 2014 Challenge Cup begin in Kyrgyzstan in March.

Dates for the Maldives tour are yet to be announced by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).

In addressing the proposed tours, PFF secretary Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi claimed that both the Maldives and Nepal would present competitive training for the upcoming AFC tournament qualifiers.

“We are expecting a good result in these international tours as the team has polished their scoring abilities,” he told the Express Tribune.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

PPM, independent candidates claim island council by-election seats

The government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has claimed one of two vacant island council seats during by-elections held yesterday (January 26), according to local media.

Mohammed Abdul Samad claimed the vacant seat on Gadhdhoo Island Council with 879 votes for the PPM. Samad beat his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) by 58 votes, according to the Sun Online news service.

Meanwhile, independent candidate Hussain Shakir claimed the available seat on Kudahuvadhoo Island Council with 1087 votes. A rival MDP candidate received 870 votes in yesterday’s by-election, according to media reports.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Gayoom’s half-brother Yameen “unconcerned” by other PPM candidates

Presidential prospect MP Abdulla Yameen believes no other candidate is of any concern unless his half-brother, former Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, contests the President Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) primary, local media has reported.

“People contesting in the primary are not of any concern to me. I only have to be wary of President Maumoon. And that is not because he is my brother,” Yameen said to Haveeru.

Yameen’s rival in the primary, PPM Interim Vice President Umar Naseer is facing rumors he will “step aside” for Gayoom’s brother-in-law Ilyas Ibrahim, according to local media.

Umar had said if a more capable candidate decides to contest the primary, he was ready to “step back” or “sideways,” reports local media.

Gayoom will not confirm his intentions to contest the presidential ticket until the final PPM candidates are announced and has maintained he will “not take sides” during the primary.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldives to establish offshore finance center with ADB assistance

An offshore finance center (OFC) is being established with Asian Development Bank (ADB) assistance, the Ministry of Finance and Treasury has announced.

The ADB has offered its expertise to the Maldives for formulating the legal framework and building the necessary technical capacity to create the OFC, Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad told local media.

“As this is entirely new to the Maldives, we will need to build technical capacity and formulate the required strong legal framework,” Jihad explained to local media.

He further stressed that establishing a OFC would assist with developing the banking and insurance sectors and majorly boost the financial sector in the Maldives, reports local media.

Jihad previously traveled to Mauritius to discuss their country’s OFC practices with bank officials.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)