Tag: maldives news

Hithadhoo man beaten to death in custody allege family, friends

A 20 year-old man from Hithadhoo died in police custody early Friday morning, after he and a 24 year-old man were arrested in a drug-related case.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the two men were arrested in a hospital toilet on Veymandoo in Thaa Atoll, allegedly in possession of drugs, and confirmed that Abdulla Basith Zubair later died in custody.

Basith’s family, including his mother, brother and best friend, were fighting back tears as they explained they were in “deep shock”, but said they had to prepare for his body to be brought home. In Muslim tradition the dead must be buried the same day they die.

“It is really upsetting, I am in deep shock,” Basith’s friend said. “We are bringing the body home now. He was beaten by the cops because they say he had drugs. They say it was an overdose, but he was beaten black and blue. There is no justice for us. They will not investigate. I can’t believe my best friend is dead.”

Another second friend, who attended Hithadhoo school with Basith, said “This is very sad news, he was a very good person with a good heart. I am in shock. His friend saw everything, [Basith] was brutally beaten. It’s murder!”

Basith brother was busy arranging the funeral. Townsfolk were gathered outside the family home to pay respects to the young man.

Sub-Inspector Shiyam said police were investigating the incident. The Police Integrity Commission and the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) had been informed, he added.

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Maldives one of the world’s most economically-repressed countries: report

The Maldives has been ranked as one of the world’s most economically-repressed countries, in the 2011 Index of Economic Freedom report produced by the Wall Street Journal and Washington think-tank The Heritage Foundation.

The Maldives is ranked 154th out of the 183 countries ranked, a slight drop on last year but still significantly below the global and regional average, placing 34th out of 41 countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Economic freedom, as defined by the report, “is the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property.”

The Maldives scored well for several indices, including business, fiscal, trade and labour freedom, but scored poorly for government spending, corruption and property rights.

“The Maldives’ weaknesses include chronically high government spending, inefficiency of the outsized public sector, and widespread corruption,” the report observed.

The government’s role in the economy through state-owned enterprises – and employment of over a third of the country’s total labour force – was “crowding out private-sector activity.”

Furthermore, “public-sector graft remains a challenge for foreign firms operating in the Maldives”, while “bureaucracy can be non-transparent and prone to corruption. Dispute resolution can be slow, complicated, and burdensome.”

Minister of Economic Development Mahmoud Razee noted that with regard to corruption, “in the past the country has not had the institutions to monitor and provide transparency, but now the information is available. It’s the difference between having a dirty or a clean window – one lets you see inside to the full picture.”

Several companies investing in the Maldives – including Indian infrastructure giant GMR and Malaysian security technology firm Nexbis – have had their share prices become collateral in local political rivalries following accusations of corruption.

“It’s one thing to be accused of something,” Razee said. “I’m sure most companies think about this [problem], but we have not seen it become a huge issue.”

Development of the private sector was stymied by “costly credit and limited access to financial services” the report noted, and while labour regulations were flexible, “enforcement is not effective in the absence of a dynamic labor market.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has consistently urged the Maldives to reduce the size of its bloated civil service wage spend, which ballooned 400 percent between 2004 and 2009.

“With the government borrowing at the rate it has, it reduces the amount of credit available to the private sector, and that constrains the ability of the private sector to provide jobs and employment,” leader of the Maldives IMF delegation, Rodrigo Cubero, said in November last year.

“That then constrains economic growth. Furthermore, by spending more than it earns, the government is putting pressure on imports and the exchange rate.”

Razee noted that the introduction of new tax regulation such as the GST and Business Profit Tax, “while not the panacea to everything, shows the government’s willingness to come to terms with [the country’s economic condition].”

“If you look at the level of companies interested and investing in the Maldives, it has not lessened,” he said.

On a positive note, the report observed the potential of the government’s mobile phone banking project, dubbed ‘Keesa’, to enhance development in the private sector. Keesa is being jointed developed by the Maldives Monetary Authority and Dhiraagu, with World Bank assistance.

Summarising, the report observed that higher levels of economic freedom “correlated strongly to a country’s overall well-being, taking into account factors such as health, education, security and personal freedom.”

Hong Kong and Singapore were ranked top, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Canada. North Korea, Zimbabwe and Cuba were ranked at the bottom.

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India and Sri Lanka to be added to Maldives ferry network, says Transport Minister

The government will connect neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka and India to its growing ferry transport network, Minister for Transport and Communication Adhil Saleem said today.

The government is in discussions with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to add its member countries to Maldives Transportation Network, under phase two of the rollout of the ferry network.

There is currently no scheduled passenger ferry service between the Maldives and other countries, with travellers forced to fly to their destinations.

Domestically, all provinces have at least a skeletal ferry service in place, Minivan News understands, while the Ministry’s statistics show that the new ferry transportation network has completed over 311,000 ferry trips since it began operation last year. A government bus service has completed an additional 49,204 trips.

Inter-island ferry transportation in the Maldives has historically been limited to private operators working to sporadic timetables. More commonly, passengers to an island such as Maalhos in Alif Atoll would travel on an unscheduled vessel owned by someone on the island, such as a shop owner, for a variable price. Chartering a local vessel could cost up to Rf 1000 (US$77).

Now, a government ferry from Male’ to Maalhos costs a fixed Rf 50 (US$3.90). Inter-atoll island hopping is set at Rf 20 (US$1.50).

Speaking at the Transport Ministry today, Adhil said that the transportation network had proven to be “very successful”, with “much more demand than we estimated.”

The service was intended to commence after three years, he said, but upon request by the government the ferries had commenced with the best available service possible.

”This year the work of establishing ferry terminals will commence, and in some areas has already begun while in others has been completed,” he said.

”Today we can see short eats made on one island sold in another islands of that atoll, we can see mangoes produced in one island sold in other islands of the atoll, we can see horse mackerel caught in Thinadhoo’s reef sold and eaten in Fuvamulah,” he said. ”Many of the people are benefiting economically and socially through this ferry system.”

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Religious Unity Act in hands of Ibra, claims Adhaalath Party

The Adhaalath Party, led by State Islamic Minister Sheikh Hussein Rasheed, has claimed that the Religious Unity Act is in the hands of the leader of the Social Liberal Party (SLP), Ibrahim ‘Ibra’ Ismail.

”The Religious Unity Act, which the government has obstructed from being [published in the gazette] was drafted with the assistance of three Attorney Generals,” the Adhaalath Party said.

”According to the information we have, the Act was first drafted with the full assistance of former Attorney General Dhiyana Saeed, during the former administration.”

The Act was refined by Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Baari, Sheikh Hussein Rasheed, Head of Fiqh Academy Sheikh Ali Zahir Bin Saeed Gasim, Sheikh Ahmed Zahir, Sheikh Ahmed Saleem, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Religious Council’s former leader Sheikh ‘BA’ Naseem and Deputy Islamic Minister Mohamed Farooq before sending it to the President’s Office.

After receiving the draft Act, President Mohamed Nasheed held a meeting with Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh, Sheikh Shaheem, Dr Baari and Sheikh Hussein Rasheed and recommended that the Act should be sent to then-Attorney General Husnu Suood before publishing in the gazette, said Adhaalath Party.

”Suood referred to the Act and brought some amendments, and removed many articles. He then said it was fine and sent it to be published on the gazette,” Adhaalth said. ”But then the President said there were some policy issues, discussed the matter in the cabinet, and sent it back to the Islamic Ministry requesting they solve those policy issues.”

After amending the draft, the Islamic ministry sent it to the current AG, Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad. The Ministry held a meeting with Sawad and again sent the draft to be published in the government’s gazette after adding his comments.

”While we were waiting for it to be published in the gazette, Ibra called from the President’s Office and said that he was now in charge of the Religious Unity Act, and that there were some amendments that should be brought to it,” the party said. ”Except for a few, he proposed amendments to all the articles in it.”

”This is now the status of the Religious Unity Act that was drafted by many religious experts and three attorney generals of the state.”

Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair, said today that the new regulations would be published in the gazette ”hopefully by next week.”

”Ibra is now discussing the draft with the Islamic Ministry and other concerned authorities,” said Zuhair. ”There are many government authorities that are related to the new regulations.”

The government have to research whether there will be any obstacle in implementing any regulation in three ways, Zuhair said.

”We have to study whether there will be any legal, social or economic obstacles to its implementation,” he said, insisting that Ibra was not deliberately delaying publication of the Act in the government’s gazette.

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Herathera resort to be rebranded by Thai developer Amari Estates

Herathera Island resort will be rebranded under the Amari Estates Company, Property Report has revealed, after the Thai-based hotel group ONYX Hospitality were appointed managers of the resort in November 2010.

Onyx Hospitality is a joint venture in which Amari Estates holds a minority stake.

Refurbishing and rebranding the resort will cost US$3.31 million, the Amari said, adding that the group would sign the official agreement on January 15, 2011.

A long-running legal dispute over the Herathera Island Resort between the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and Yacht Tours Maldives (YTM) concluded in January 2010.

MTDC had claimed that YTM had been running Herathera Island Resort without paying rent and took the company to court. In May 2009 YTM was ordered to pay US$8 million in outstanding rent to MTDC.

YTM stopped paying rent in December 2008, claiming MTDC had failed to fulfil a contractual obligation to build a channel between Herethere Resort and Hulhudhoo, an adjoining inhabited island, by 30 November 2008.

In January 2009 MTDC agreed to pay Yacht Tours US$3.5 million to end the court dispute, and regain control of the resort.

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MJA calls for end to protests outside media organisations

The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has expressed concern that protesting outside media organisations ”to threaten interviews” was becoming common and has warned that it might cause the media to back down from coverage.

”Under the constitution, every citizen is guaranteed the two fundamental rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly,” the MJA said in a statement. ”MJA calls on people not to misuse these fundamental rights by threatening and intimidating interviewees for a political gain.”

The MJA claimed that every time a person arrived for an interview at a media outlet, “he has to be taken home under police protection.”

Protesters recently gathered near private television station Villa TV (VTV) when Imad Solih of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) entered the studio for an interview regarding its successful Civil Court bid to overturn the President’s declaration that Addu was to become a city.

”The tendency of protesting outside media organisations has now gone to an extreme level in which the medias is prevented from performing its responsibility to make the government accountable,” the statement said. ”MJA wants to note that recently such two protests were organised outside VTV station, and earlier protests were also held outside DhiTV station and MNBC One.”

The organisation suggested that expressing opinion in the media and responding to opinions people disagreed with through the media would be “much more fair and diplomatic” than protesting.

”As with freedom of expression, we recognise that freedom of assembly is a fundamental right,” the MJA said. ”But we call for an environment safeguarding both these fundamental rights at the same time.”

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Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate JSC embezzlement allegations

President’s member on the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) Aishath Velezinee has referred the judicial watchdog to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), accusing it of embezzling state funds by awarding a ‘committee allowance’ contrary to Article 164 of the Constitution.

Article 164 states that “A member of the Judicial Service Commission who is not a member of the Executive, the Judiciary, or the People’s Majlis shall be paid such salary and allowances as may be determined by the People’s Majlis.”

Only JSC members Velezinee, Sheikh Shuaib Abdu Rahmaan and lawyer Ahmed Rasheed are paid salaries as they do not hold state posts.

However Velezinee has alleged that all commission members – including those with state incomes – are earning Rf 500 for each commission meeting and Rf 300 for each committee meeting, and claimed that these allowances were not approved by the parliament and were therefore unlawful.

The budget for the JSC commission members, obtained by Minivan News, confirms Velezinee’s claims that JSC members are in some cases receiving up to Rf 9000 (US$700) a month as a ‘committee allowance’; a total of Rf 514,660 (US$40,000) in 2010.

“JSC members have been taking allowances for the meetings and committees they attend stating that this has been decided by JSC,” Velezinee said.

“The decisions in the JSC defer day to day depending on the views of the members present at the time. This decision has no legal backbone to support it and will not at all make any sense to a sane person.”

Furthermore, she said, “the JSC is not independent. Some members use their position, power and connections (including with judges and the Judges Association of the Maldives) to spread absolute lies to discredit and defame me which has prevented me from carrying out my responsibility according to the Constitution.”

The JSC, she noted, had not even provided her chair in which to sit for over a year. “Every time I sit down somewhere in the office they find another use for the space the next day. Junior staff don’t even seem to think I’m a member of the commission.”

On January 3 Velezinee was hospitalised after she was stabbed three times in the back in broad daylight on the main tourist street of Male’, an attack international organisations such as Transparency International have condemned as potentially “politically motivated.”

Velezinee said she has repeatedly asked the Commission to stop paying the allowance into her bank account, “even giving them cheques for the money”, but says she is always met with prevarication. The budget shows that Attorney General Ahmed Ali Sawad, also a JSC member, has declined to receive any money from the Commission.

Despite drawing the allowances that Velezinee alleges are fraudulent, the Commission also failed to investigate any of the 140 complaints against judges sent to it in 2010. Furthermore, 122 complaints sent to the Commission in 2009 were rejected “as irrelevant.”

A statement issued by the JSC claimed that parliament had approved the allowances.

”Although that is the truth, on January 10, 2011, Presidential Member of the Commission Aishath Velezinee misinformed the media about this without clarifying the matter,” read the statement. ”We advise her to uphold the code of conduct as mentioned in article 17 of the Judicial Service Commission.”

Yesterday JSC President Adam Mohamed and Vice President Dr Afrasheem Ali called a press conference in the JSC’s meeting room, but cancelled it after Velezinee attended the press conference and sat with the journalists.

The press conference was later held in Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) studio without Velezinee being informed.

During the conference, when journalists questioned why the first meeting was canceled, Adam replied that no members of the commission other than those who the commission decided could attend were permitted to attend the press conference.

Haveeru reported Deputy Commissioner Dr Afrasheem Ali as saying the constitution did not say that the allowance could not be given unless the parliament approved it.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has said it will begin investigating the case as a serious issue.

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Former President to launch DRP campaign with rally at Guraidhoo

Former President and main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) ‘Honorary Leader’ Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is leaving for Guraidhoo in Kaafu Atoll, along with a DRP campaign team including the party’s former Deputy Leader Umar Naseer.

DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf said that tonight a rally would be held at Guraidhoo to gain support for the party.

”We do not have much time, so we would not be traveling to many islands this time,” DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf explained. ”But we will be going to islands such as Villingili in Gaafu Alifu Atoll and Fuvamulah.”

Mahlouf said that during tonight’s rally, only Gayoom would address the people of the island.

”Umar Naseer will be addressing the people of other islands,” he said. ”Our Honorary Leader believes that Umar is still the Deputy Leader of the party and so do I.”

The Elections Commission has previously stated that Naseer was removed from the party’s membership list following a request from the senior party’s leadership.

DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali was invited to join the campaign team, Mahlouf said, but said he did not know whether he would attend.

”I read in the paper that Thasmeen is going in another direction, I don’t know much about him,” Mahlouf said. ”MPs like Ahmed Nihan and Ali Arif are in our campaign team.”

Mahlouf said that Gayoom will hold a final rally in Male’ on February 3, which he said would be the final rally before the Local Council Elections.

”After the Local Council Elections we will resolve Umar’s issue,” he said.

DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali told Minivan News that he had scheduled another rally at Thulusdhoo tonight.

”We are all working to achieve one goal. I think it would be much more successful if we campaign separately in different parts of the country so that we can broaden the campaign,” said Thasmeen. ”According to my travel schedule I will not meet the Honorary Leader during the campaign.”

Thasmeen noted that while Gayoom was traveling to Haa Dhaalu Atoll this weekend, he was scheduled to visit Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

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Male’ could be expanded to increase availability of shelter, says President

President Mohamed Nasheed has raised the possibility of expanding Male’ by reclaiming land from nearby reefs.

”It is not impossible to provide shelter for all the citizens living in Male’,” said Nasheed, adding that the housing crisis could be mitigated “using technology”.

”Instead of looking east of Male’, another solution lies in the reefs at west of Male’,” he said.

Nasheed said that the reefs around Villingili, Gulhi, Thilafushi, Giraavaru and could potentially be reclaimed and and populated.

”As a result we can produce land, link them together and provide housing for people of Male’ and people living in Male’,” he said. ”It is something we could and most probably will do, by divine will.”

This week the president launched phase one of ”Veshi Fahi Male’,” a program to alleviate congestion caused in Male’. The city is the world’s most densely populated, with over 100,000 people living in just two square kilometres – a third of the country’s population.

Under phase 1 of the Veshi Fahi Male’ program, a total of 1,000 parties in the first category will be able to apply for housing schemes. This includes 500 housing units in Malé, 250 housing units in Hulhumalé, and 250 housing plots in Hulhumalé.

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