Land leased on Kaashidhoo in Kaafu Atoll to Maldivian Democratic Party MP Abdulla Jabir’s J Hotels and Resorts has been revoked by the government due to failure to pay rent.
According to local media, Kaashidhoo Council President Ali Sulthan said the land – leased for the construction of an 80-bed guest house – had been leased for the past ten months, of which only three months’ rent had been paid, local media reported.
An amount of MVR 166,000 (US$10,758) is apparently due from the company, which was contracted to pay a sum of MVR 15,000 (US$972) per month.
“The land was leased to a company owned by our constituent member Jabir. We have revoked the land because they were not paying the rent at all,” Sulthan was quoted as saying by Sun Online.
J Hotels and Resorts is operated under Jabir’s Yacht Tours Maldives.
Executive Director of J Hotels and Resorts Ibrahim Rasheed confirmed to local media that that the company does own a land in Kaashidhoo, but it does not have land with outstanding rent payments.
Yacht Tours, a company owned by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Abdulla Jabir, has said it will take the government to court over the recent termination notice it has been sent in relation to unpaid rent.
At a press briefing held today, Yacht Tours Executive Director Ibrahim Rasheed explained that the company currently owed approximately US$5 million (MVR 77 million) to the state. According to Rasheed, one-third of this debt was actual rent payments, while the rest amounted to fines accumulated over recent years.
“We have previously paid USD 1.5 million dollars (MVR 23 million) to the state as an advance for our island Watavarreha. Just after we made the payment, a new law was passed and it came about that this was something our company did not really have to pay,” Rasheed explained.
“But then, keeping the financial status of this nation in mind, our company did not push too hard to get reimbursed. Instead, we requested the government to use this money for rent adjustment of our other resorts,” he said.
Rasheed also gave details of the company’s official communications with the government in regard to the request it had been sent, providing the media with copies of letters exchanged between the state and the company.
Yacht Tours had requested the then Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Mariyam Zulfa, to arrange rent adjustment of the resorts Kudarah and Alidhoo from the Watavarreha advance, which the company said it was owed by the government.
A follow-up letter, dated August 21, 2011, stated that according to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), the government owed the company US$1,115,374 (MVR 17,176,760). At the same time, the company was said to owe a total amount of US$1,300,418 (MVR 19.9 million) in charges for the three resorts to the state.
The former tourism minister had then sent a letter on August 21, 2011 to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, asking the rent adjustment to be processed as was requested by the company.
In a letter dated 27 September, 2011, a letter exchanged between the President’s Office and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury stated that advance money paid by a company can be used as rent adjustments for another resort or tourist business owned by the same company.
Following the transfer of power in February, Yacht Tours had again approached the Tourism Ministry to settle the matter of rent. On 22 February 2012, Yacht Tours wrote to current Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb, once again detailing the issue and asking for rent adjustment.
According to the company, Adheeb has failed to respond to the letter.
At a press conference on held December 31, 2012, Adheeb said that Yacht Tours had been sent the termination notices for both the Alidhoo and Kudarah resorts, with a seven day period for handover.
He added that while the ministry had come to a payment system agreement with a number of other companies, Yacht Tours had sent no official written communication in regard to the payment of outstanding rents.
In response, Rasheed claimed he was deeply concerned about the comments, accusing the minister of making a false statement.
“We wrote to the ministry just after he was appointed. We still haven’t received a response to the letter sent back in February. We have also met him officially at a number of instances to discuss this matter. The last time, right after the termination notices were sent in late November, I personally went with Jabir to a meeting with the minister to discuss this issue. At the time, the Minister had said that he was working on it, to arrange rent adjustment,” Rasheed said.
“We are very saddened that the minister has gone and said there are no communications between Yacht Tours and the ministry. If, let’s say, the current government considers all the letters we have exchanged with the previous governments to be void, then we should be notified of that. Makes me wonder if Adheeb thinks he is the first minister of tourism of the country. With the current actions in mind, it is hard to see Adheeb as a capable minister,” he added.
Yacht Tours Managing Director Ibrahim Shiham spoke about the huge loss the company was facing due to the government’s actions.
“Many of the bookings are getting cancelled. We are also experiencing delays from business partners and financiers. Foreign investors are very concerned about the government’s actions. The market value of the islands are at US$100 million (MVR 1.5 billion) now. And they are trying to terminate this over a value of US$5 million (MVR 77 million).
“Our wish is to settle the matter through dialogue, but now that we have been given seven days to handover the resorts, our legal team will respond to it. We will be taking the matter to court,” Shiham said.
Yacht Tours Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mohamed Zuhair expressed concerns over the state’s treatment of companies in the tourism industry.
“It goes without saying that all companies in this same industry must be treated equitably and fairly. However, we deeply regret to say that today it is not how things are been carried on. Yacht Tours is not given the same treatment as other companies in the industry,” Zuhair said.
The company furthermore pointed out the silence on the matter of tourism related bodies like MATI and MATATO to be very concerning.
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adheeb was not responding to calls at the time of press.
Abdulla Jabir is currently not in the country. Jabir had recently rejoined the MDP from the government-aligned Jumhoree Party (JP).
Last month, staff at Alidhoo Resort alleged both Maldivian and foreign workers had not received pay for several months, despite complaints made to management and various external government organisations. Minivan News understands some of these payments had since been made by the company.
MPs Abdulla Jabir and Alhan Fahmy of the Jumhoory Party (JP) – part of the current coalition government – today publicly announced that they will vote against President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan in an upcoming no-confidence motion.
During a press conference, held at the People’s Majlis along with opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs Ibrahim Rasheed and Imthiyaz Fahmy, Jabir and Alhan told local press that they did not have confidence in the current president. The two MPs claimed they were ready to stand against him, even if the vote was to be taken tomorrow.
Jabir was among a number of MPs and senior MDP figures arrested earlier this month on suspicion of the possession of drugs and alcohol following a raid by police on the island of Hodaidhoo in Haa Dhaal Atoll.
Jabir, his wife Dhiyana Saeed – the former Minister for Gender and Human Rights under the current government – and the MDP have all alleged the arrests were politically motivated. The charges have been vehemently denied by the President’s Office, which has told media that it had no knowledge of the operation until it had been carried out by police officers.
The arrests have nonetheless been labelled as “very worrying” by a delegation from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which late last week claimed it was “difficult” to believe the police raid had not been politically motivated.
Speaking at today’s press conference, MP Alhan alleged that Dr Waheed was threatening MPs because his attempts to make MPs act as his puppets had not worked. He said Waheed had also threatened MPs during public speeches he had given of late.
Local newspapers meanwhile quoted MP Jabir as saying that Dr Waheed should not be kept in his position, reiterating that he did not come to power through an election.
Jabir also revealed plans to forward a no-confidence motion against Home Minister Dr Ahmed Jameel and said that he had already signed the motion.
Earlier in October MDP, filed a no-confidence motion against Home Minister but was withdrawn on November 12 without mentioning a clear reason.
At the same time, a no-confidence motion against Dr Waheed was also submitted to the parliament.
The MDP claimed that the no-confidence motion was submitted to the parliament in response to what it alleged were orders from President Waheed to attack citizens and MDP MPs, and to carry out acts of “inhumanity” on February 8.
The MDP also accused President Waheed of trying to “destroy” the sensitive economy of the nation, claiming that his handling of the economy had destroyed foreign investor confidence in the Maldives.
The motion was filed with the signatures of 26 MPs of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on October 10.
According to article 100 (e) of the constitution, a no confidence vote against the President can be passed with votes from two-thirds of the total numbers of MPs in parliament, which amounts to 52 votes.
The Ministry of Tourism on has issued notices to five resorts warning that their lease agreements could potentially be terminated if the rent owed to the state is not paid.
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adheeb told local newspaper Haveeru that rents paid by resorts constituted a large portion of national income, and said that only a few of the country’s 104 resorts were paying rent inconsistently.
This inconsistency, Adheeb said, was reflected in the national income and that therefore his ministry was giving these resorts one month to pay their dues or face being shut down by the government.
The resorts include Filitheyo Island Resort and Medhufushi Island Resort, both owned by AAA Hotels and Resorts, a family business owned by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party MP Ahmed Hamza.
Jabir – the deputy leader of the JP – this week turned on the government following his arrest last week while on the inhabited island of Hodaidhoo, along with another fellow MP and senior opposition politicians.
The other arrestees were MDP MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor – also the party’s international spokesperson – along with former SAARC Secretary General and Special Envoy to the former President, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, former Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair and his wife Mariyam Faiz.
Police claimed they found large amounts of “suspected” drugs and alcohol upon searching the island with a court warrant. The arrests were made “based on information received by police intelligence,” police said.
The Tourism Minister meanwhile told Haveeru that the government could “immediately terminate” the lease agreements and take back the resorts if rents and fines for non-payment of rent were not paid, but had instead chose to be lenient on the issue and give the resorts 30 days to pay up.
Adhee added that the government would terminate the lease agreements and reclaim the islands if the rent was not paid during the time period.
“This decision is to those resorts which are currently under operation. Not those that are already being developed. Now we have sent the final notice and the resort owners should decide on paying the rent,” he said.
The Minister claimed the government would terminate the contracts in such a way as to avoid affecting tourists currently staying in the resorts, or the employees working there.
“Politically motivated” – MP Abdulla Jabir
Speaking to Minivan News, Jabir blasted the government claiming the motive behind sudden issuance of the “warning notice” was “purely political” and intending to influence the re-submitted amendment to parliamentary regulations to conduct impeachment votes via secret ballot.
Three days ago a similar amendment initiated by the opposition MDP MP Ahmed Shifaz was defeated in the parliament floor by 34 to 39 votes. However, MDP MP Ibrahim ‘Bondey’ Rasheed has again re-submitted the amendment to Parliament’s Privileges Committee.
“I have only heard about this from the media. I have tried contacting the tourism minister since last night but he had been ignoring my calls. Because of the interview he gave to media, now tour operators are cancelling bookings and the staff are not satisfied to continue working in the resorts,” Jabir said.
Jabir claimed that he had paid a settlement of US$2 million in rent during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration, which was “agreed as a settlement” for the rent of two islands.
However, Jabir claimed that the current government had chosen not to honour the agreement which resulted in continued addition of fines for non-payment of rent, that now stood at about US$4 million.
“I know following the recent political developments and due to my new opposition to the current government, [President] Waheed has now ordered the tourism minister to issue the repayment notice so to threaten his political opponents,” declared Jabir.
“This is highly politically motivated. He knew I was the one behind the submitting of the amendment to parliamentary regulations to make the impeachment vote a secret ballot. It was I who in the first place drafted that amendment and gave it to MP Ahmed Amir. They know this but I will still continue to work for that,” he explained.
“Will do everything to inform international investors what the President is doing” : Jabir
Jabir said he had known for a long time that President Waheed had “the desire to operate a resort” and desperately wanted “to give a resort or two to one of his children”.
“Now I have decided to hand over the resorts, and I am trying to do the formalities in front of the media. But how can I even do that if tourism minister does not have the courage to answer his mobile phone?”
The JP MP questioned why it was that resorts belonging to opposition politicians were being “targeted” while there were many other resorts which had failed to pay rent.
“What I am saying is very clear. If you want to take the resorts, fine take them. But I promise that I will make sure that Waheed’s ‘scorched-earth politics’ and his failed economic policy is informed to all international investors. Who would really want to invest in a country ruled by such a government?” Jabir questioned.
“Even in the US where the economy is failing, the government takes steps to help businesses. But here it is the other way around. Owners and young businessmen are being beaten and forced to eat sand,” he said, referring to his earlier allegations of torture during the arrest in Hodaidhoo island.
Jabir stated that he was planning to sue the government for the “damages” he incurred following the decision.
“This notice has already costed me in millions,” he claimed.
MDP MP Ahmed Hamza was not available for a comment at time of press.
Statistics from the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) suggest that more than eight resorts are failing to pay rent, and the government is owed US$25 million.
According to Haveeru, Alidhoo Island Resort – operated by Yacht Tours Maldives owes the government a sum of US$4.7 million while Medhufushi Island Resort operated by J Hotels and Resorts owes the government US$ 5.9 million.
Meanwhile Filitheyo Island Resort owes the government a sum of US$ 5.2 million as both land rent and lease while Zithali Resorts and Spa Kuda-Funafaru owes US$395,859.
Jumhoree Party (JP) Deputy Leader and MP Abdulla Jabir has challenged the legitimacy of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan and his current government, alleging the country is now run by the police and military.
His wife Dhiyana Saeed, President Waheed’s Minister for Gender and Human Rights, was subsequently sacked.
At a press conference regarding the police raid of arrests of himself, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, former President’s Special Envoy Ibrahim Hussain Zaki and other persons on charges of consuming alcohol, Jabir strongly criticized Waheed and the current government.
“They were so violent at first I thought they were some pirates or terrorists, they didn’t have badges or identification. Only after hours of brutality did they claim to be police and tell us we were arrested under charges of drug abuse,” Jabir said.
“I kept asking why theywere acting in such a violent manner, but no one provided a reply.”
He said that they had been handcuffed for close to 12 hours before they had been transferred to the Kulhudhuhfushi court.
Jabir, who had refused to provide urine samples to the police, explained his stand: “I repeated this to the judge too. I said I’m ready to give urine, or even shave off all the hair on my head and give it to them, or even blood,but that they had to follow laws and procedures when making arrests.”
The MP in the ruling coalition party further alleged that “some persons” in the executive had lately been finding it “hard to digest statements in Majlis which were made in the public interest” and had resorted to tactics such as phone tapping. He also said that since military vehicles were involved, it was “reason enough” to believe that Minister of Defence and National Security Mohamed Nazim were complicit.
Jabir said he had made a phone call to the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Mohamed Jameel right after he was released by the court.
“The Home Minister, Dr Jameel, said he had no knowledge [of the arrests]. So I have to say now that this country does not even have a home minister.”
“I am a JP MP who has supported Waheed and voted with his interests in parliament. I am also a deputy leader of JP, which is a coalition member of this government. Why did they then beat us up like this?” Jabir continued.
“Zaki nearly died. I almost died, too. I must say now the government is trying to kill off MPs.”
Speaking of the ministers, Jabir said: “No one has yet submitted a case on their cabinet posts to the courts, and the courts have not decided whether they are in their posts legitimately.”
“Even though the CNI said that this is not a coup, under what law does that CNI even qualify as a legal court?” Jabir said, questioning the legitimacy of the government – of which his own party is a coalition member.
“I see no reason why the President does not have to take the responsibility for this. That is, if there is a president. I now question whether there even is a president here. I guess the courts will provide us with an answer to that,” Jabir stated.
“I was giving Waheed my full support. But now I have been brutally beaten up for no reason at all. How can I support him after this? I can only describe the people behind this as devils disguised as humans,” he continued.
“I now see that what we have in the Maldives is a military dictatorship. We need to hold early elections as soon as possible. I will do everything I can in my capacity as a parliament member to facilitate early elections.”
“You were not even elected”: former HR Minister to President
Waheed administration’s Human Rights Minister, Dhiyana Saeed, also attended her husband Jabir’s press conference the previous day “as moral support to [her] husband who has been badly brutalised.”
She was subsequently dismissed from cabinet.
“In my career, I have always had to take the side of the police and defend their actions, although I have never found it easy to accept their brutality towards citizens,” Saeed said, adding, “But this time, I have seen too close the violence they dealt out. No one should be beaten up, regardless of what the charges for arrest are.”
Saeed then proceeded to demonstrate through role play the exact manner in which the police had brutalised her husband, acting out how and where the police had hit him.
“Police even hit Jabir on his private organs so hard that he is still bleeding. I would know, I have seen for myself,” Saeed said, sharing the doctor’s reports to support the point.
According to Saeed, she had sent a text message to Waheed upon learning of Jabir’s arrest: “I said to him that he would know very well which of the cabinet ministers have spouses who consume alcohol, and that I knew very well why Jabir was arrested. I was implying that it was politically motivated and had to do with Monday’s vote in parliament. If it honestly is about alcohol consumption, then I believe there’s a huge number of people that need to be arrested.”
“I also told him that I am very shocked to see the levels he is stooping to to hold on to his post, and said that he was not even elected by a public vote. I have quite a lot of things I can say under oath too.”
Saeed then claimed that Waheed had responded stating that he was unaware of the arrests, adding that he himself was questioning who could have done this and for what purpose. According to her, Waheed himself said that he suspected it had been done in connection to Monday’s vote, in order to create more hostility towards him among the MPs.
Dhiyana Saeed was terminated from her post as the Human Rights Minister on Monday, following her public criticism of the current administration.
Abbas quits JP over Jabir’s comments
Meanwhile, government spokesperson and council member of JP Abbas Adil Riza has quit the party today, stating as a reason that judging by the statements made by people in the party leadership, he did not like the direction the party seemed to be moving in.
“Jabir’s statements are not sentiments that I can agree with. I don’t accept that it is within my principles to stay with people who evade taxes and defame police and other people. That is why I am leaving the party,” Abbas said.
We acted professionally during the arrest: police
Police have made public their official video of the arrest on Monday. Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef denied that police had caused any physical harm to any of the arrested persons.
He however said that those who had restricted arrest had been pushed to the ground and handcuffed, adding that any damage caused through showing resistance was the responsibility of the arrested.
Haneef stated that police had followed normal procedures and acted professionally in the operation.
Abdulla Jabir and Dhiyana Saeed’s press conference:
Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Abdulla Jabir has said he intends to file a complaint against MP Ibrahim Muthalib at parliament’s Privileges Committee for accusing him of carrying a bottle of alcohol.
During yesterday’s sitting of parliament, MP Muthalib, who joined the religious conservative Adhaalath Party last year, alleged that he had seen MP Jabir walking out of the Hilton Hotel “with a bottle of alcohol in one hand and his wife in the other.”
MP Jabir’s wife is Minister of Gender, Family and Human Rights, Dhiyana Saeed.
The Fares-Maathoda MP made the allegation during a debate on problems facing the fisheries industry.
MPs have immunity from prosecution or defamation suits for remarks made during parliamentary debates.
Muthalib accused Jabir, chairman of resort company Yacht Tours, of using his time during parliamentary debates to “mock” the Islamic Ministry, the Adhaalath Party, and Islam.
In response, MP Jabir raised a point of order and said he regretted that “the Fares-Maathoda MP, who will see his own face and shape when he stands in front of a mirror and know he looks like someone who has committed theft after being elected as an MP [and] just told a blatant lie about us.”
The MP for Kaafu Kaashidhoo also remarked that MP Muthalib lacked “any education for someone who pretends to be a religious scholar.”
Jabir alleged that MP Muthalib was once banished for forging a signature, calling him a “big thief”.
Muthalib has meanwhile denied the allegations in local media today. Both the JP and Adhaalath are part of the current ruling coalition led by President Dr Mohamed Waheed.
In the 2008 presidential election, Adhaalath Party backed JP presidential candidate and business magnate Gasim Ibrahim and formed a coalition with the Republican party.
Amid rising concerns about state expenditure, debt and the economic stability of the country, some political actors who are part of the unity government coalition have started expressing concern about the government’s actions publicly.
The government-aligned Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) earlier this month expressed concern over Waheed’s handling of the coalition’s dispute with the GMR contract to develop the airport, while one of the party’s MPs called for his resignation should he be unable to settle the matter.
More recently, Jumhoree Party Deputy Leader and MP Abdulla Jabir on Sunday criticised President Waheed’s commitment to bring down state expenditure.
“Spending money he does not have”
MP Jabir said Sunday that President Waheed was acting with no consideration for the extremely high levels of state expenditure.
Jabir claimed that while the norm elsewhere in similar circumstances was that the president would work to cut down on spending, Waheed was continuing to appoint people to new political posts and campaign with “money he does not have”.
“He picks people off the streets and gives them posts,” Jabir said. “Why hold on to such a pointless formula?”
Jabir asked Minister of Finance and Treasury Abdulla Jihad if Waheed had discussed his pledges with him prior to making them public, speaking at the Public Accounts Committee meeting on Sunday. Jihad responded that he had no documents detailing Waheed’s presidential pledges and only become aware of them as they were reported in local media.
Jihad also stated that Waheed mostly consulted the leaders of the coalition parties when appointing people to head the state companies, although he said he had been consulted about a few appointments.
The Finance Minister on Monday revealed that the country’s budget deficit for 2012 was set to reach MVR 6 billion, (US$390 million), MVR 3 billion (US$195 million) over estimates.
In addition to Jabir, DRP MP Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed also expressed his disapprovement of government actions.
“The government does not seem to be serious in its efforts to bring down expenditure,” Maseeh said. “Some ministers just make bold statements without even considering the budget. These statements lead to fancy headlines. This needs to be stopped.”
Interference in parliamentary duties
Meanwhile President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza, himself a member of Jumhoree Party, denied the allegations. He is reported in local media as saying Jabir was disappointed regarding ongoing issues with the government concerning the lease of his personal restaurant business, West Park. Riza claimed this is the reason why Jabir was critical of the government.
“We are seeing members of the government coalition criticising the government because some personal interests cannot be gained. This itself shows that the government will not be involved in any unconstitutional actions,” Riza has been quoted as saying.
“Jabir has expressed disappointment over the West Park issue many times, but this government will not make any decisions which are not aligned with the values of equality and justice,” he said.
In response to the government’s statement, Jabir spoke to Minivan News today.
“Of course I am disappointed over the West Park issue. It is part of my personal business. But I am questioning the state and its ministers in my capacity as a member of parliament, in the best interests of the country. My personal disappointment does not cloud my seeing Waheed constantly making trips to islands and making pledges. Even the Finance Minister has said he has seen these on media,” he said.
“I am saddened that such an incompetent man is using the resources of the President’s Office to make such unfounded claims,” Jabir said. “I am not sure that man was in his right senses when he said that.”
Jabir stated that according to the regulations of the parliament, no one could raise questions or take action against statements made by a member through the work of the legislative as long as it conformed to constitutional and islamic principles.
“The three powers of the state are separated. The president’s spokesperson seems unaware of even this. By making such a statement, he is interfering with another branch of the state, and is breaching democratic norms,” he further said.
Jabir said that it was his duty as a member of parliament to make the government and the president accountable. He pledged to continue with the work and condemned what he said was the government’s attempts to inhibit it.
However, Jumhooree Party’s Chief Spokesperson Moosa Rameez told Minivan News today that the party did not share Jabir’s opinion of the government.
“This party is part of Waheed’s government. We have not noticed any instance where Waheed has spent money he does not have for campaigning,” Rameez said.
“We are very concerned about Jabir having made such a statement. He did not discuss this in the party’s council. Our concern is that this might create problems within the unity government.”
President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza was not responding to calls at the time of press.
A police officer was stabbed to death on Kaashidhoo island in Kaafu Atoll on Sunday night.
According to a press statement released by the police, the victim was identified as 26 year-old Lance Corporal Adam Haleem, who was attacked around 12:00am while on his way to report for duty.
The person suspected of killing the police officer is now under arrest, the statement reads. However, police have not identified the suspect or revealed any further details surrounding the murder.
Local media meanwhile has identified the suspect as Samah, a person with prior criminal record, and has reported that he was released to house detention on Sunday following a two day arrest over an assault case.
Health officials from Kaashidhoo Health Center have told local media that Lance Corporal Haleem suffered serious stab wounds in the attack, including a nine-inch deep stab wound to the chest.
They also confirmed that he was alive but in critical condition when brought to the hospital, and that he died soon afterwards while undergoing treatment.
The process is underway to move the police officer’s body to capital Male’. Haleem, from Kethi house on the island Kaashidhoo, was a husband and father of a three month old baby.
While more details into the fatal stabbing have yet to unfold as the investigation gets underway, with a special forces team dispatched to the island, social networks and media are swarming with comments from cabinet ministers and government-aligned politicians blaming the ousted former President Mohamed Nasheed and his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for the attack.
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik updated his official Twitter account saying he “strongly condemn the killing of a policeman while on duty. Enough of hate mongering against officers of the Law.”
Dr Waheed added in another tweet that there should be “no excuses to kill anyone let alone policemen on duty. Shame on cowards hiding behind anonymity and inciting violence.”
He has also ordered the national flag to be flown at half staff for three days in honor of the slain police officer.
Though Dr Waheed did not explicitly blame the former ruling party, his spokesperson Masood Imad soon went on to claim on Twitter that “LCoporal Adam Haleem has been stabbed to death by MDP sympathisers. This is the result of Mr Nasheed’s call for inciting violence & hatred.”
Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed also had tweeted that the “murder of police officer came after continuous attack on police force by MDP, calling entire police force traitors.”
In another tweet, Jameel also said that “evidence available to police [which] exposes MDP top leadership calling for violence against the police force.”
Jameel told local media that he had spoken to the father of the victim over the phone, who had requested police to finish the investigation soon and impose death penalty for his son’s murderers.
Lance Corporal Haleem’s murder is the eighth recorded homicide in the Maldives this year alone, and comes just a day after the Criminal Court sentenced to death a young couple charged with lawyer Ahmed Najeeb’s murder.
Government-aligned Jumhoree Party (JP)’s member Abdullah Jabir, who won the Kaashidhoo constituent seat in the recent by-election, told local media Sun, “this incident is a result of lies spread by MDP to incite hatred against police officers.” He further pledged to work within the parliament to do everything necessary to prevent such an attack from repeating.
Several unconfirmed claims surfacing over social media meanwhile claim that the arrested suspect is a JP supporter and is married to a relative of Jabir. Minivan News have not been able to verify the authenticity of these claims so far.
Meanwhile in a tweet, former President Nasheed expressed sympathy for the victim, condemning “the tragic murder of the policeman in K.Kaashidhoo in the strongest possible terms”, but stopped short from responding to any accusations.
Recently appointed Special Trade Representative to President Waheed, Abdulla Jabir, has resigned from the post three weeks after accepting it.
According to the President’s Office, Jabir’s resignation followed his decision to contest the Kaashidhoo by-election, after the Supreme Court upheld charges against sitting MDP MP Mohamed Mustafa and stripped him of the seat.
Jabir, now the deputy leader of fellow businessman Gasim Ibrahim’s Jumhoree Party (JP), has also been a member of both the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).
Jabir’s wife, Dhiyana Saeed, was the former Secretary General of SAARC prior to her resignation in protest over the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.
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