Category: News in Brief

Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court suspends all cases

The Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court has announced that it has suspended all ongoing cases following an injunction issued by the High Court on Sunday halting the trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The High Court granted the temporary injunction or stay of the former President’s trial pending a ruling on procedural points raised by Nasheed’s legal team, which included the legitimacy of the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

In its announcement on Monday, the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court said it has suspended proceedings on cases involving marriage, divorce, guardianship, family matters, property lawsuits, civil cases, criminal cases involving extension of detention periods as well as other matters that could be affected by the questions raised over its legal status.

Meanwhile, at Sunday’s hearing of Nasheed’s appeal at the High Court, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) revealed that it had filed a case at the Supreme Court to determine the legitimacy of the court.

Writing in his personal blog last month, Independent MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed explained that a magistrate court could not legally be established at Hulhumale’.

The Judicature Act states that magistrate courts should be set up in inhabited islands aside from Male’ without a division of the trial courts (Criminal Court, Civil Court, Family Court and Juvenile Court).

According to appendix two of the constitution, Hulhumale’ is a district or ward of Male’ and not a separate inhabited island. The former magistrate court at Hulhumale’ – controversially set up by the JSC before the enactment of the Judicature Act in October 2010 – should therefore have been dissolved when the Judicature Act was ratified.

Meanwhile, local media reported yesterday (November 5) that the Supreme Court ordered the Civil Court to send over all files and documents on a case submitted by a lawyer, Ismail Visham, over a year ago challenging the legitimacy of the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

The Supreme Court had issued a writ of mandamus ordering the lower court to suspend its hearings and had taken over the case. The apex court had however not conducted any hearings on the case.

A court official told local media that a hearing on the case of the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court’s legal status has not been scheduled.

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CCHDC allays fears of disease outbreak

The Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CCHDC) has allayed fears of an outbreak of diseases in islands affected by flooding caused by heavy rainfall last week.

At a press conference on Sunday, Fathmath Nazla Rafeeq, officer in charge at the CCHDC, said the biggest threat was the spread of diarrhea caused by damaged sewage systems in islands hit hardest by the flooding.

She revealed that there was an outbreak of fever in the island of Kelaa in Haa Alif atoll. The centre has supplied chlorine and medicines to the island in the northernmost atoll, she added.

Nazla also appealed to the public to be wary of the spread of dengue by taking measures to prevent mosquito breeding.

Meanwhile, the Maldives Red Crescent sent teams of volunteers to Haa Alif Hoarafushi, Haa Dhaal Hanimaadhoo and Laamu Gan reportedly to provide information on prevention of communicable diseases and managing hygiene.

The teams will also participate in cleaning up efforts, the Red Crescent said in a press release, including 45 trained volunteers working at Hoarafushi to assess the cost of damages caused by severe flooding.

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Education Ministry questions ACC order to review awarding of scholarships

The Education Ministry has questioned instructions by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to review the awarding of scholarships from the Zakat (alms for the poor) fund, reports Haveeru.

State Minister for Education Aminath Ali denied the ACC’s claim that deserving recipients were denied scholarships due to flaws in the selection process, carried out jointly by the Education Ministry, Zakat Fund Committee and the Islamic Ministry.

Of 812 applicants, 320 were selected for the scholarships, she revealed.

“ACC had highlighted that though orphans deserved a mandatory nine points, that process had not been followed. We had requested the Islamic Ministry to define orphans before the process was selected. Islamic Ministry advised that orphans over the age of 18 who are employed would only receive a certain amount of points,” the state minister was quoted as saying.

She revealed that some students who were not chosen for the scholarships had filed complaints with the ACC, after which two officials from the commission examined the selection process and all relevant documentation.

She added that the ACC investigators had not questioned any officials from the ministry.

The state minister also denied claims by the ACC that the last stage of the selection process was carried out only by the Education Ministry despite the regulations stating equal involvement of both the Education and Islamic Ministries.

Aminath Ali went on to characterise the ACC’s order for a review as “bizarre” and questioned the purpose of the order, accusing the commission of violating the rights of students who deserved the assistance.

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Elections scheduled on Wednesday for women’s committees

Elections are due to take place in 102 islands on Wednesday for women’s committees to work with the existing island councils.

Local Government Authority (LGA) Chief Executive Officer Dr Ahmed Shukuree however told local daily Haveeru yesterday (November 4) that there were no candidates from 44 islands. The LGA plans to fix a date for elections in the 44 islands after sharing information on the importance of the committees, he said.

While elections would be held in 102 islands, constituencies where only one candidate applied, such as in some areas of Male’ and Addu City, would not require an election, Shukuree said.

Aside from nine-member committees for three islands, five member committees would be elected in 159 islands and seven members committees in 26 islands, according to the LGA.

Under article 36 of the landmark Decentralisation Act (Dhivehi), the powers and responsibilities of women’s committees are: (a) Advise island council on matters related to island development and municipal services provided by the council; (b) Own properties and conduct business activities with others in the name of the committee; (c) Sue and be sued in the name of the committee; (d) Conduct various activities for income generation and for the development of women; (e) Work to uphold the rights of women; (f) Work to increase religious awareness amongst women; (g) Work to increase political participation of women; (h) Work to increase the numbers of women enrolled in higher  education; (i) Work to improve the health condition of women; (j) Gather important information related to the women; (k) Manage assets and finance of the committee.

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Man jumps into sea to avoid arrest

A 35 year-old man jumped into the sea to avoid arrest in the island of Dhagethi in Alif Dhaal Atoll on November 2.

According to police media, the suspect was waiting at the jetty to claim a box sent on a speedboat from Male’ on Friday afternoon and police were tipped off that the box contained illegal narcotics.

The suspect however jumped into the sea to escape when police attempted to take him into custody.

Police officers meanwhile jumped in after the suspect and apprehended him. Two rubber packets of suspected drugs were found in his possession when he was checked at the Dhagethi police station.

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Maldivian Democracy Network observing former President Nasheed’s trial

Local NGO Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) is observing the trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed on charges of illegally detaining Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

MDN said in a press release on Sunday that it was “conducting the observations of the trials in partnership with a representative of the Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC) of the Bar Association of England and Wales in the United Kingdom.”

On conclusion of the trial, MDN said it plans to produce a report based on the observations.

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Greenpeace to conduct programme with coastguard to monitor illegal fishing

Greenpeace International has commenced a programme with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) coastguard to monitor illegal fishing in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC), Oliver Knowles, Senior Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace UK, said at a press conference in Male’ on Friday.

The Rainbow Warrior – flagship of environmental NGO Greenpeace – is currently visiting the Maldives as part of a two-month tour of the Indian Ocean.

“Greenpeace has come to the Indian Ocean in order to learn about fishing activities in the region, and to talk to communities, governments, officials and the tuna fishing industry, with the intention of working together to combat overfishing and to stop destructive and illegal fishing,” the international organisation stated.

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Indian High Commission donates MVR 55,000 to three NGOs

The Indian High Commission has donated MVR 55,000 (US$3,567) to three local NGOs in recognition of their service to the community.

At a function on Thursday night at Iskandhar School to mark the India-Maldives friendship day, President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik presented commemorative plagues to the NGOs –Care Society, Maldives Autism Association and Haemophilia Society of Maldives.

While Care Society and the Autism Association were gifted MVR 25,000 each, the Haemophilia Society was given MVR 5,000.

Senior government officials, MPs and Indian expatriates living in Male’ attended the ceremony on Thursday, which also featured entertainment.

The event was held to mark the 46th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

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President urges “vigilance against rebellious forces”

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik urged “greater vigilance against rebellious forces” in his address (Dhivehi) at a special ceremony last night to commemorate ‘Victory Day’ on November 3, 1988 – when an armed coup attempt was thwarted by Indian military intervention.

Following the unveiling of a monument at the military headquarters, President Waheed stressed “the importance of fostering deep love in our hearts for the sovereignty of our nation, and failing to do so may cost us our most prized possession – national identity and independence,” according to the President’s Office.

In his speech, President Waheed noted that on all occasions where Maldives’ independence was threatened by external forces, “it was due to the disloyalty of a fellow citizen who was unfaithful and insensitive to his own land and its people.”

The President further noted the “heroic courage and gallantry shown by our defence forces”, which was deserving of “utmost praise and honour.”

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