Category: News in Brief

Former head of customs pleads not guilty to corruption charges

Former principle collector of customs and registrar of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Ibrahim Shafiu, pleaded not guilty to corruption charges at the Criminal Court today.

Shafiu is accused of abuse of authority to help a company named Centre Enterprises evade import duties for a crane.

The ex-chief spokesperson of DRP under former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had also pleaded not guilty to similar charges of assisting a company associated with current DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, ‘Sultans of the Seas,’ evade import duties for two luxury speedboats.

Sultans had evaded Rf52 million (US$4 million) in custom duties after Shafiu had decreased the duty payable for the two vessels and refused to fine the company. Import duties owed by Centre Enterprises were meanwhile reduced by 35 percent and 20 percent, allegedly through Shafiu’s influence over the valuation committee.

Although the charges against the ex-customs head were filed in September 2009, the case had remained stalled as Shafiu had been living in Canada following President Gayoom’s defeat in the October 2008 presidential election.

Shafiu was arrested at the airport and served with court summons when he arrived in the Maldives last month.

According to newspaper Haveeru, Judge Saeed Ibrahim adjourned the hearing after the prosecuting attorney requested time to evaluate the evidence against Shafiu as a number of others were implicated along with Shafiu.

Shafiu reportedly requested that the trial be expedited.

Other individuals charged in the case include Ibrahim Shiyam (H. Maafaage), Mohamed Anwar (SinaMale’ 03-35), Abdulla Waheed (M. Reason), former Chief Customer Officer Mohamed Armeen (M. Woodpecker) and Senior Customs Officer Hassan Sulaiman (Lh Hinnavaru, Landhooge).

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MNDF and Indian Navy conduct joint operations in EEZ

The Maldivian National Defense Force (MNDF) has today begun joint naval operations with the Indian navy, patrolling the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), reports Haveeru.

The paper reports that the Indian Navy ship and the Coast Guard’s Huravee Launch and Shaheed Ali ships will participate in the operation monitoring the waters for illegal activity.

The operations come as President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan visits India on a visit intended to strengthen bilateral ties with the Maldives’ neighbour.

Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim visited Indian in April, meeting with officials to enhance military cooperation. The MNDF also conducted joint operations, labelled ‘DOSTI – XI’ with the Sri Lankan and Indian navies last month.

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President Waheed pledges to strengthen diplomatic mission in New Delhi

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has pledged to allocate funds in next year’s budget to construct new premises for the Maldivian High Commission in New Delhi.

Speaking during a visit to the high commission yesterday, the president said he wished to strengthen the mission’s role and help resolve concerns about a lack of staff presently employed to oversee its work.

Waheed, along with representatives from his government, have been in the India this week meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the present political and economic situation in the Maldives.

Speaking yesterday, President Waheed played up the importance of the high commission in strengthening ties between the Maldives and India. He also praised High Commissioner Abdul Azeez Yoosuf and the mission’s efforts in helping to secure aid and other development assistance in recent years.

The president added that the high commission’s ability to conduct its work presently needed to be strengthened, and that he would aim to ensure financing could be made available to achieve this.

According to the President’s Office website, High Commissioner Yoosuf spoke about methods to “broaden the role” of the diplomatic mission in India.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla also spoke during the visit that he would look to provide additional assistance in increase the role of the Maldivian High Commission in New Delhi.

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Maldivian President reneged on early elections deal: UK Telegraph

The Maldives President Mohammed Waheed has reneged on a deal for early elections that were aimed to settle the crisis on the tropical islands following the coup against his predecessor Mohammed Nasheed, writes Dean Nelson for the UK’s Telegraph newspaper.

Dr Waheed was sworn in to succeed Mr Nasheed after he was forced to resign in February following a revolt against his government by the police and army.

During the revolt Mr Nasheed’s opponents seized the state broadcasting company while senior members of Mr Nasheed’s Maldives Democratic Party were beaten in scenes captured on film.

Footage of Mr Nasheed himself being manhandled by police on the streets of the capital Male was also broadcast on the internet and were followed by riots throughout the country’s far-flung atolls.

Mr Nasheed’s supporters, including senior figures in the British government – his party was formed in association with the Conservative Party, and he counts David Cameron and William Hague as friends – voiced concern over the scale of violence on the islands and the circumstances of his ‘resignation.’ Special envoys from the Commonwealth, the UN and India were dispatched to help solve the crisis and a deal was brokered by India for early elections to take place as soon as July – a year ahead of schedule.
President Waheed said at the time that he would open discussions with all political parties to bring forward the elections on the condition that peace returned to the islands and the MDP abandoned its protests.

But in an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph during his visit to New Delhi on Sunday, President Waheed said there will be no early elections and the poll will take place next year instead.

He said the other party leaders had said because the country’s constitution requires elections at fixed intervals, an early vote would mean two being held in the space of just over a year.

Dr Waheed said he had not supported President Nasheed when his security forces revolted because relations between them had already broken down.

During his presidency, Mr Nasheed had been disrespectful to him, put some of the cabinet ministers from his party under pressure to defect to his MDP, and had excluded him from major decisions.

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First lady discusses Maldives autism challenges in India

First Lady Ilham Hussain yesterday visited India’s National Center for Autism, highlighting the need for greater training opportunities for Maldivians working with local sufferers of the condition.

Hussain’s visit, which coincides with a government visit to India, was made in her capacity as a founder member of the Autism Association of the Maldives.

Whilst at the centre, the first lady spoke with senior staff and discussed work being undertaken in the Maldives on raising awareness about autism, according to the President’s Office website.

Hussain also stressed the importance for more training opportunities at the National Center for Autism in India, particularly for Maldivians working with children suffering from the condition.

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Immigrant workers “slipping through the cracks”: The Sunday Leader

The immigration detention centre on the island of Hulhumale’ is a world away from nearby Ibrahim Nasir Internaitonal Airport, writes Raisa Wickrematunge for the Sri Lanka-based newspaper, The Sunday Leader.

“Hulhumale’ is known as the airport island of the Maldives- it’s where tourists from all over the world fly in. But the other section of Hulhumale’ is a world away from the runway. It houses a detention centre, one which takes in migrant workers who have fallen foul of the law.

This centre is manned by a single immigration officer and two police guards, who have just been appointed. Indeed, they are so new to the job that they do not even check our paperwork when we arrive at the gate.

‘When I got here, it was just thick trees and scrub. No one could live here,’ the immigration officer said, emphatically. He and two officers cleared the area and set up the centre- a long building with an aluminium roof.

There is a separate section for the toilets. The stench is indescribable. There are a couple of shower stalls, simple taps with running water, one of them outdoors.

Around 20 Bangladeshis are currently living here, although the number could swell to around 70, and often does. They say they are here because they have been cheated by unscrupulous agents. Many have no travel documents. The immigration officer says many of them are here because they committed petty crimes.”

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“Political lightweight” President to face “complex” deliberations in Delhi: The Hindu

A host of complex issues will come up for deliberations as Maldivian President Waheed Hassan Manik, arrives in New Delhi on Friday, soon after the successful visit of the former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed to India, writes R. K. Radhakrishnan for Indian newspaper The Hindu.

Dr Waheed, the former Vice-President, who stepped in after Mr Nasheed vacated office on February 7, is a political lightweight, who will be unable to categorically assure New Delhi on issues that are high on the agenda. The issues include the problems confronting Indian investments in the Maldives, the open hostility of some sections of the new government towards India, and the fate of projects that have been approved by the Nasheed dispensation.

But the most important agenda will be the political issues that have been flagged by Mr Nasheed during his visit to New Delhi. The Waheed government has neither shown the urgency, nor the persistence to engage all shades of opinion to arrive at an early election date. While the main supporters of the new administration, including India, the United States and the European Union, wanted early elections – by the end of the year – this now appears remote.

Dr Waheed’s main backers in Maldives want elections closer to the date that the elections would normally be conducted – late next year. There have been some discussions on fixing July 2013 as the election month, but this too has not found favour with Dr. Waheed’s backers – including the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, one source said.

Dr. Waheed will be flown to New Delhi in a special plane on Friday, in his first visit to India after he took over as President. During the five-day visit, he is expected to meet a host officials and leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Officials said that the visit has been accorded the status of an ‘official visit’ as opposed to a ‘State visit.’

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Bangladeshi national killed after being hit by motorcycle

Police are investigating a motorcycle accident that killed a Bangladeshi national in Male’ on Friday.

According to police, Mohamed Taajul Islam was hit by a speeding motorcycle driven by an unlicensed minor near the Fish market in Male’ on Friday afternoon.

He died later that evening while being treated for the injuries at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), police said.

Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef was unable to disclose if a suspect connected to the case had been charged over the incident when contacted by Minivan News.

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Maldives women’s national football team begins Sri Lanka tour

The Maldives women’s national football team has arrived in Sri Lanka today for the start of a five-day national tour.

The team will play two friendly matches during their visit, starting tomorrow in a game against the Sri Lanka Air Force’s official team at Baddegana Football Complex, according to the Sri Lanka-based Sunday Times newspaper.

The Maldives team will then take part in a game against a female team made up of officers from Sri Lanka’s Army at the City Football League Complex on Tuesday.

Both matches are expected 3:30pm local time, according to local media.

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