Tag: Hoarafushi

Criminal Court hears concluding statements for ‘Husseynube’ murder case

The Criminal Court yesterday concluded hearings in the ‘Husseynube’ murder trial, obtaining the concluding statements from both the Prosecutor General’s Office and the defendants.

Hussain Mohamed Manik – known by the islanders of Hoarafushi as ‘Husseynube’ – was a prominent businessman found dead inside an abandoned house in September 2010.

Ahmed Ibrahim, Mohamed Latheef, and Numan Abdulla were arrested in connection with the murder and charged with terrorism in September 2011.

The Prosecutor General’s Office accused the three of murdering 61 year-old Hussain Mohamed after taking him hostage and robbing him.

It was accused that the defendants stole more than MVR100,000 and US$1000 in cash from the victim.

According to local media present at the court yesterday, the prosecution said that the three  charged with the murder had confessed to police during the investigation, explaining how the incident had occurred.

The prosecutors noted that the information given by the suspects after the confession could only be known by a person involved in the murder. He also noted that their information had led to evidence that had been produced in court.

However, the defence lawyer told the court that police conduct during the investigation of the case was unlawful.

He said that any confession made outside of the court should be dismissed, to which the judge responded by saying that he would adhere to the clause in the constitution which states that confession made outside the court will be inadmissible.

Before concluding the hearing the judge announced that the case was to be concluded by the end of this month.

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President Yameen inaugurates Hoarafushi sewerage project

President Abdulla Yameen officially inaugurated a sewerage project on the island of Hoarafushi in Haa Alif Atoll yesterday.

The Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure awarded the project to the Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC).

After the inauguration ceremony, President Yameen also visited Haa Alif Kulhudhufushi yesterday. He is due to return to the capital, Malé, today.

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53 year-old man stabbed in Hoarafushi

A group of men last night stabbed a 53 year-old man on the island of Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu Atoll.

Police said that the incident occurred last night at about 3:30am, while the old man was on his way to go fishing.

According to the police he was stabbed twice in his back and is currently being treated at Dhidhoo Hospital in Haa Alifu Atoll.

The police said that the assailants were covering their faces using masks and they fled after the attack. However, police have brought in three suspects.

The three men aged 21, 22 and 27 were arrested at about 4:15am this morning, according to police.

Police said Hoarafushi Police Station is investigating the case.

Local media identified the old man as Abdul Baary of Finihiyaage in Hoarafushi, Haa Alifu Atoll.

In September 2010, Hussein Mohamed Manik, 61, a prominent businessman and seller of oil and hardware products was found dead inside an abandoned house on Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu Atoll.

Local media at the time reported that Manik’s hands were tied behind his back with rope, and that the body was lying on the ground in a prone position when discovered.

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Hoarafushi has “returned to normal” after last month’s flooding

Families displaced by last month’s flooding of Hoarafushi have been able to return home following a relief effort by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).

Twenty-four inhabited islands were reported to have been affected by the heavy rain, with Hoarafushi in Haa Alif Atoll deemed by the NDMC as the most severely affected.

According to Hoarafushi Island Council Chair Ahmed Mauroof, up to 95 houses were flooded in the area, affecting an “estimated 600 people.”

The NDMC has been working to restore normality on the islands since the flooding. Disaster Management Centre Project Officer, Hisan Hassan, said: “Everyone has been returned to their homes, and I have heard from a councillor on the island that it has returned to normal now.

“Some families are still expecting some aid relief, as many foods, electrical and personal items were destroyed in the floods.”

An initial figure of MVR 10 million (US$648,000) had been made available from a contingency component in the national budget to provide relief to the damaged islands.

A government spokesperson confirmed that a report on the damage has been published.

Joint efforts from the island council, the island’s youth, police, the MNDF, officials of the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) and staff from the nearby Manafaru resort helped to put up sandbags, move furniture and to pump water from clogged up roads.

The floods started with heavy rain in the late afternoon on Monday October 29, causing flooding of up to five feet, according to police. The rains lasted non-stop until dawn on Tuesday.

Other islands affected by the rising waters, including Haa Alif Baarah and Haa Dhall Hanimadhoo were also assisted by the MNDF Northern Area Command.

Speaking to Minivan News last month, Mauroof said: “The cost of damage caused by flooding is expected to rise to millions.

“We formed the task force because our aim is to recover from this as quickly as possible.”

The severe weather had been linked to low pressure from cyclone Nilam, over the Bay of Bengal.

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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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Three men accused of Hoarafushi hostage murder face terrorism charges

The Prosecutor General (PG)’s Office today pressed criminal charges against three persons accused of murdering 61 year-old Hussain Mohamed after taking him hostage and robbing him on Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu Atoll.

Hussain, a prominent businessman known as ‘Hussainbe’, was found dead inside an abandoned house in September last year.

The PG’s lawyer told the judge that the three of them stole more than Rf 100,000 and US$1000 in cash but the three denied the charges, according to local media.

Police at the time said they believed that year-old Hussain Mohamed may have been murdered.

An official from the island office had told Minivan News that the body was discovered by the caretaker of the building that night.

“There were no injuries on the outside his body,’’ said the island official. ‘’He is from another island but has lived in Hoarafushi for a long time.’’

Local media reported that Manik’s hands were tied behind his back with rope, and that the body was lying on the ground in a prone position when discovered.

The island official said that it had rained heavily the previous evening, and that “nobody goes out in the rain. The streets would probably have been empty.”

The sale of oil in Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu ceased following the death of the prominent businessman.

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Indian gynecologist attacked by masked men on Hoarafushi

An Indian gynecologist working at Hoarafushi Health Centre in Haa Alifu Atoll has said she will “never come back to the Maldives” after two masked islanders attacked and gagged her.

“They broke in to my room with their faces covered, holding knives, and they tried to attack me,” the doctor told Minivan News. “I could only see their eyes. It was like the worst nightmare I have ever seen.”

The doctor said at first she tried to escape by shouting, but then the men tried to cover her mouth and tie a rope to her neck.

“I dialed the last dialed number on my phone and it was the health centre. When the health centre answered the phone the attackers snatched it from my hands and switched it off, but luckily the person who answered heard me screaming.”

The doctor said she fought with the men and was able to escape.

“I held their knife and pushed them back, then jumped out of the window and screamed for help,” the doctor said. “Then they ran away.”

The doctor said it was the “worst experience I have ever had” and that she would “never ever come back to the Maldives.”

“I’ll even advise my friends and my students not to choose Maldives,” she said. “I mean why should they do this? I did my best to serve the people here, why should they do this to me?”

The doctor said she had no idea what had motivated the pair to attack her, and said she was emotionally, mentally and physically hurt in the incident.

Deputy chair of the island council Ali Riyaz, who told Minivan News he was the first to attend the scene, said the incident was “regrettable”.

Riyaz said he first heard of the incident when the doctor phoned a councilor during a council meeting last night at 9:50pm.

“I went to her room immediately and called the police,” Riyaz said. “Her room is very close to the Council Office and we rushed there very quickly. When we knocked on the door she did not open it because she was so frightened.”

Once the councilors had convinced the doctor who they were, “she came outside and started crying. She was injured,” Riyaz said. “She said two men with their faces covered entered her room and attacked her.”

Riyaz said the doctor had told them not to do this to her and that she was like a sister to them.

“She even told them to take any amount of money they wanted, and also to take any electronics including her laptop if they wanted, without attacking her.”

Police had arrested 11 people following the incident, Riyaz said.

“Two of them were the two men suspected by the police, and the other nine were those who went [to police] of their own accord because they have past crime records and they wanted to show that they had no hand in this incident,” Riyaz said.

The doctor was the only specialist working in the Hoarafushi Health Centre and the only gynecologist in the entire atoll. Riyaz said her departure would be “a great loss” for the atoll.

“She had decided to leave Maldives some time ago,” he said. “She was a great doctor and is loved by many islanders across the atoll.”

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that police had arrested two promising suspects, although he said their motives remained unclear.

The community had been very supportive of the police investigation and were taking care of the doctor, he said: “The heart of the whole island is with her.”

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Three suspects arrested in Manik murder investigation

Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the alleged murder of oil businessman Hussain Mohamed Manik, who found dead inside an abandoned house on Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu Atoll yesterday.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said it was “too early in the investigation for police to release information”, however newspaper Haveeru published the names of those it claimed were the suspects and said they were Hoarafushi natives of 18-25 years of age.

Manik”s alleged murder has gripped the country and triggered uproar among the islanders, who have blamed the incident on gang attacks and set several huts on fire in retaliation.

Media reported yesterday that Manik’s hands were tied behind his back with rope, and that the body was lying on the ground in a prone position when discovered. An island official told Minivan News that there were no injuries on the outside the body.

President Mohamed Nasheed has meanwhile issued a statement of condolences to members of the bereaved family, while the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has “strongly condemned the violation of the right to life”, and called on “concerned state institutions” to “take strong action against such inhuman activities.”

Islanders have reported that oil is unobtainable on Hoarafushi since Manik’s death.

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Elderly businessman allegedly murdered in Hoarafushi

A prominent businessman and seller of oil and hardware products has been found dead inside an abandoned house on Hoarafushi in Haa Alifu Atoll.

Police believe that 70 year-old Hussain Mohamed Manik may have been murdered.

An official from the island office told Minivan News that the body was discovered by the caretaker of the building last night.

“There were no injuries on the outside his body,’’ said the island official. ‘’He is from another island but has lived in Hoarafushi for a long time.’’

He said the incident had triggered uproar among the islanders.

“I heard that some of the islanders set huts belonging to gangs on fire. They believe that gangs were involved in this,’’ he said.

Local media reported that Manik’s hands were tied behind his back with rope, and that the body was lying on the ground in a prone position when discovered.

The island official said that it had rained heavily last night, and that  “nobody goes out in the rain. The streets would probably have been empty.”

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said police had received the report this morning.

“We are currently investigating the case and it is very difficult to disclose any information,’’ Shiyam said, adding that the team dispatched to the island included Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh, Deputy Commissioner Mohamed Rishwan and a team from of Serious and Organised Crime department.

President Mohamed Nasheed meanwhile expressed concern over the alleged murder. In statement from the President’s Office Nasheed sent “his deep condolences to the members of the bereaved family” and instructed the Maldives Police Service to “thoroughly investigate” the case.

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