Tag: maldives news

Mother charged with murder over death of toddler

A mother has been charged with killing her three-year-old son on the island of Rakeedhoo in Vaavu atoll in January.

The prosecutor general’s office told local media that the case against Fathmath Afiya was filed at the criminal court today.

The body of three-year-old Mohamed Ibthihaal was found with signs of severe abuse on January 28 in the worst case of child abuse in recent years. The murder shocked the nation while reports that officials had been aware of Ibthihaal’s abuse sparked public outrage.

Afiya was arrested two days later and has since been held in pre-trial detention. Her stepfather, Ismail Raoof, was arrested on April 1 on suspicion of physically and sexually abusing Ibthihaal.

The PG office also pressed disobedience to order charges against Afiya over child neglect.

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May Day protest pickup driver faces terrorism charges

The prosecutor general’s (PG) office has filed terrorism charges against the driver of a pickup that broke through police lines during the mass anti-government protest on May 1.

The pickup used at the protest drove through barricades and the line of Specialist Operations (SO) police officers at high speed and was stopped near the Islamic centre.

The police said at the time that the driver was instructed and paid by protest organisers to break through the police lines.

The police have also forwarded cases to the PG office against main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson Ali Waheed, Adhaalath Party president Imran Abdulla, Jumhooree Party (JP) deputy leader Ameen Ibrahim, and JP senior member Sobah Rasheed.

The PG office media official told Minivan News today that it has not determined whether to press charges against the opposition leaders.

The leaders of the allied parties are accused of inciting violence in their speeches during the demonstration, which police contend led to protesters assaulting police officers, damaging property, and disrupting public order and safety.

With the exception of Imran, the others had exercised the right to remain silent during the police interrogation. The three were arrested in the wake of the May Day protest, while Sobah Rasheed was arrested from a street protest on May 3.

Imran, Ali Waheed remain in police custody after the criminal court extended their remand detention for a second time on Saturday.

Ameen was released by the High Court last week after the appellate court overturned the criminal court’s 15-day remand detention order.

The High Court, however, upheld the lower court’s order to hold Imran and Ali Waheed in custody. The pair has appealed the High Court’s ruling at the Supreme Court.

Nearly 200 protesters were arrested in a police crackdown on the May Day demonstration after protesters attempted to enter Malé’s restricted Republic Square at dusk.

The police have since banned the use of four-wheeled vehicles during street protests.

According to local media, the PG office has not pressed charges against the driver’s wife and another protester on the pickup. The case against the driver was reportedly filed at the criminal court on Tuesday.

Of the 193 protesters arrested on May 1, the PG office had previously said that cases of 98 protesters have been sent to the committee reviewing first time offenders.

“That means we will press charges against only about 30 people. That includes repeated offenders and the people suspected of attacking police officers at the protest,” PG Muhthaz Muhsin told the press on Sunday.

The pickup driver is the only protester facing terrorism charges, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. The other protester face charges of disobedience to order and obstruction of police duty.

Scores of protesters and some police officers were injured during violent clashes on the night of May 1. Video footage shows protesters tripping and kicking an SO officer and one man hitting the policeman over the head with his baton.

Some 14 people have since been arrested on suspicion of assaulting the officer, who was flown to Sri Lanka for medical treatment.

On Tuesday, police appealed for public assistance in locating three more suspects: Abdulla Mufeed, Ahmed Miudhaan Hameed and Ahmed Unais.

The MDP has accused police of torturing and threatening to kill three suspects arrested for assaulting the police officer.

Other May Day detainees have also alleged that police beat them after their arrest from the protest, but police have denied the allegations and advised lawyers and families to file complaints at independent oversight bodies.

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Two men arrested with 1kg of hash oil

Two Maldivian men were arrested with 1kg of hash oil last night.

The pair, aged 20 and 22, were taken into custody around 9:05pm in an operation conducted by the police intelligence and drug enforcement departments.

The arrests were made based on intelligence information suggesting that the pair were smuggling and selling drugs in Malé.

Police officers followed the 22-year-old on his motorbike and arrested him near the Imperial Clinic on Lonuziyairah Magu. The bags containing the drugs were found in his possession.

The 20-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the case.

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Villa Group unable to pay salaries

Opposition politician Gasim Ibrahim’s Villa Group has announced it will not be able to pay salaries of more than 4,500 employees after the government froze its accounts last week over unpaid fines.

The conglomerate – which operates businesses in shipping, import and export, retail, tourism, fishing, media, communications, transport, and education – says the government’s US$90.4million claim is unlawful and is contesting it at the civil court.

The opposition says the government is targeting Gasim’s businesses because of his split from the ruling coalition in January.

“This company’s revenue has suffered since last November. The struggle to balance the company has been brought to a halt by the government propaganda’s, blatant lies and the freezing of our accounts,” managing director Ibrahim Siyad Gasim said in a memo sent to all employees on Wednesday.

“In these difficult circumstance, employees who find it hard to work with us to rebuild the company again are advised to find other job opportunities,” he continued. “The employees who leave will be paid their outstanding salaries as soon as we find the means to pay.”

Human resource manager of Villa Shipping, Ibrahim Moosa said the memo will apply to more than 4500 employees of Villa Shipping and subsidiary companies.

“This is a very difficult situation for the company. I plead with our staff to stay with us. God willing we will overcome this situation,” he said.

A journalist from Villa TV, also owned by Gasim, said the memo does not come as a surprise.

“They put out a memo a few weeks back saying some employees might be sacked due to the circumstances. Also there was another memo issued back in November. We have not been paid April’s salary yet,” she said.

Another employee at Villa’s domestic airline Flyme said staff had been paid half of their salaries and half of a transport allowance for March.

“All of us at Flyme understand what is happening. We know that Gasim is really being squeezed financially,” he said.

Since the notice was issued, Gasim has not been seen in opposition protests or made any comments on the imprisonment of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed and ex-defence minister Mohamed Nazim.

However, JP MPs and council members are part of a new coalition formed between the main Maldivian Democratic Party, the Adhaalath Party, defectors from the ruling coalition and members of Nazim’s family.

In an appearance on Villa TV in April, Gasim said two European banks have cancelled loans worth US$80 million due to media reports of the notice.

Unfairly freezing Villa’s accounts would “impoverish thousands of citizens” and one of the largest companies in the country will “head towards bankruptcy,” he said.

The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) issued the US$90.4 million notice after the tourism ministry terminated agreements for several properties leased to Villa and subsidiary companies for resort development.

Some 27 cases challenging the termination of the agreements and MIRA’s notice as well as appeals of the civil court’s refusal to grant stay orders are ongoing at court.

Villa – which won the tax authority’s “Ran Laari” award last year as one of five companies that paid the highest amount to the state – insists it does not owe any money to the state.

But the civil court last month refused to issue stay orders until the conclusion of the dispute, saying the state could reimburse and compensate the company if the ongoing cases are decided in Villa’s favour.

MIRA’s notice stated that Villa owed US$75.5 million as fines, US$600,000 as interest, and US$14.8 million as unpaid rent dating back to original lease agreements signed in 2006 and 2007.

A second notice for the payment expired on April 18, but the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) did not freeze the company’s accounts saying the move may negatively affect the Maldivian economy, local media have said.

The JP has since accepted an offer by President Abdulla Yameen to commence talks.

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Government tasks fisheries company with providing public transport in Addu City

The government has terminated an agreement with MVK Maldives Pvt Ltd to provide bus and ferry services in Addu City, and tasked the state-owned Maldives Industrial Fishing Corporation (MIFCO) with providing the public transport services.

The contract with MVK was signed by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government in 2009 under its Public-Private Partnership policy.

Minister of economic development Mohamed Saeed told the press today that the government has been “receiving numerous complaints regarding the ferry services” in the southernmost atolls.

“The ferry, which was supposed to be running between Addu City and Fuvahmulah has been stopped for almost a year, while the bus services within Addu City have suffered interruptions,” he said.

“That is why we decided to annul the agreement with MVK and hand over the agreement to MIFCO.”

Saeed said that the MDP government’s transport system was built “very irresponsibly” on a loose foundation, alleging that it was intended to provide unlawful gains to certain parties.

A nationwide transport network was one of five main pledges of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

MIFCO is also providing ferry services in the Gaaf Dhaal and Gaaf Alif atolls in the south after former President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s administration terminated an agreement with Trinus-CAE Holdings Pvt Ltd.

MIFCO’s CEO Adlee Ismail said the company’s immediate focus would be to start providing services to the current standard.

“We have to bring buses and other vehicles from abroad. Our aim to bring air-conditioned and modern vehicles,” said Adlee.

Adlee said 30 percent of the company’s fish stocks are from Addu City, and that the company is planning to open a fish processing plant in the Hulhumeedhoo ward early next year.

Turbulent history

MVK was leased a guesthouse in Gan for 50 years in exchange for providing the ferry services.

However, Addu City Mayor Abdulla ‘Soabe’ Sodiq previously told Minivan News that the guest house “which was functioning well when handed over,” is now mostly vacant and neglected.

The guesthouse transaction was later investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2010, which found that it was awarded illegally.

MVK was also questioned by the parliament’s government oversight committee in September 2014 regarding its failure to provide the transportation services.

At the time, company officials told the committee that plots of land awarded under the initial agreement had not been handed over.

However, the company agreed to resume transportation services, requesting until December 2014 to start the inter-atoll ferry to Fuvahmulah.

Saeed said today that the government has shown a “good example” by cancelling the contract, declaring that it will not hesitate in terminating agreement if there are shortcomings in providing services to the public.

The current administration has already terminated several of the MDP government’s projects, such as the Tatva waste management agreement.

Former president Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan in 2012 terminated an airport development agreement with Indian infrastructure GMR.

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Youth minister dismissed

President Abdulla Yameen has dismissed today minister of youth and sports Mohamed Maleeh Jamal in a cabinet shuffle.

Recently appointed health minister Ahmed Zuhoor was handed the youth portfolio and deputy gender minister Iruthisham Adam was appointed as the health minister.

The reason for Maleeh’s dismissal is unclear. Neither Maleeh nor president’s office spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali were responding to calls at the time of going to press.

Maleeh appeared with other cabinet minister at a ceremony held this morning to inaugurate a scientific feasibility study for a planned bridge between capital Malé and airport island Hulhulé.

The dismissal was announced at noon.

Maleeh is the cousin of vice-president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, who the president has reportedly sidelined. The vice-president who was very active during the presidential campaign rarely appears in public now.

Maleeh is alleged to have close ties with ex-defence minister Mohamed Nazim, who is currently serving an 11-year jail term on weapons smuggling charges.

According to the pro-government newspaper Vaguthu, documents police found in a pen drive at Nazim’s apartment show the Yameen administration is divided into factions respectively led by the president and Nazim.

Nazim’s “team” included Dr Jameel, home minister Umar Naseer, former Police Commissioner and current JP MP Abdulla Riyaz, Maldives Ambassador to Malaysia Mohamed Fayaz ‘FA,’ former State Trading Organisation (STO) Managing Director Adam Azim (Nazim’s brother), PPM MP Hussain Manik Dhon Manik, PPM MP Ahmed Nazim, Maleeh, and president’s office minister Abdulla Ameen.

Police claimed the documents suggest Nazim was planning to assassinate the president, tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb and police commissioner Hussein Waheed.

Nazim says the pen drive along with a pistol and bullets were planted at his home by rogue police officers on Adeeb’s orders.

Maleeh’s dismissal comes amidst a political crisis triggered by the jailing of Nazim and ex-president Mohamed Nasheed.

Minister for Islamic affairs Dr Mohamed Shaeem resigned on May 5, after the arrest of religious conservative Adhaalath Party president Sheikh Imran Abdulla from an opposition protest.

President also reassigned state minister of Islamic affairs Dr Mohamed Ali to the housing ministry, and appointed state minister for housing Athifa Shakoor to the gender ministry.

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Court releases judge’s brother arrested for arson

The prosecutor general’s office has appealed the Maalhos magistrate court’s release of a man arrested on suspicion of torching two boats and a speedboat in Baa Kendhoo on April 24.

According to local media, the suspect, Abdul Salam Yousuf, 42, from the Morning House in Kendhoo, is the brother of criminal court judge Abdul Bari Yousuf.

Judge Bari was part of a three-judge panel that sentenced former President Mohamed Nasheed and former defence minister Mohamed Nazim in March.

The magistrate court in Baa Maalhos had extended Salam’s remand detention twice, but reportedly refused to grant a third extension. He had been held in police custody for 20 days.

The owner of the vessels said at the time that the fire caused damages worth MVR3 million (US$194,931). The boats and speedboat were made of fibreglass and were completely destroyed.

The owner also said the perpetrator had broken into his petrol shed and stolen gasoline.

The owner is a member of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

A few days after the incident, a car owned by an MDP activist was set on fire in the Feydhoo ward of Addu City.

Both incidents occurred ahead of a mass anti-government rally planned for May 1.

Local media reported at the time that according to eyewitnesses two masked men carrying knives set the car on fire around 6:45am on April 28.

The car’s owner, Mohmed Thoriq told Minivan News at the time that some windows of his house also caught on fire as the car was parked in front.

“My mother saw the flames and woke me up crying,” he said.

“In total with cost of the windows of the house and the car, this is about MVR 230, 000 worth of damages for me,” he said.

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Bore hole drilling begins for Malé–Hulhulé bridge survey

A team of Chinese technicians began drilling bore holes on the ocean floor today to gather information for the Malé-Hulhulé bridge project.

Tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb, economic development minister Mohamed Saeed, and other cabinet ministers attended an inauguration ceremony for the bore hole drilling at the raalhugadu (surf point) area of the capital this morning.

Housing and infrastructure minister Dr Mohamed Muiz said at the ceremony that information gathered from drilling the holes will be essential for designing the bridge.

Technicians are drilling 29 bore holes that will be six inches wide and 50 metres deep. Four of the bore holes will be on land.

Surveys and feasibility studies ahead of the design process are being conducted with free aid and technical assistance from the Chinese government.

Muiz said the Maldivian government will seek a developer once the designs are finalised. The project will be financed with a soft loan from the Chinese EXIM bank. The government has previously said the project may cost between US$100million and US$150million.

The six-lane bridge will run from Malé’s surf point to the southwest corner of Hulhulé island’s airport runway, Muiz had previously said.

China has said it would “favourably consider financing” the bridge project if the design proves feasible, while President Xi Jinping said he hoped the government would call the bridge “the China-Maldives friendship bridge”.

The government has said construction of the bridge will be completed by 2017.

Speaking at this morning’s ceremony, Adeeb said the current administration is fulfilling its campaign pledges “like a set of firecrackers on fire.”

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Maldives to build Chinese-friendly hotels and resorts

The tourism ministry has announced plans to build Chinese-friendly hotels and resorts in the Maldives to cater to increasing tourist arrivals from China.

Tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb leased the island of Kalhufahalufushi in Thaa Atoll for resort development to the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC).

The global engineering contractor is set to become the first Chinese company to invest in the Maldives and in the tourism industry.

Maldivian resorts were designed to cater to European holiday makers, Adeeb said. But with the new deal “Chinese tourists will see hotels that are designed for them. But tourists from other countries will also go there.”

The number of Chinese tourists visiting the Maldives tripled from about 100,000 in 2010 to more than 300,000 last year.

With a total of 363,626 arrivals in 2014, Chinese tourists accounted for nearly one-third of arrivals with a 30 percent market share, representing the single biggest source market for tourists to the Maldives.

Adeeb said CMEC will now undertake a feasibility study and propose its development concept and other details to the government, adding that a lease agreement will be signed before the end of the year.

The tourism minister said he expects CMEC to invest at least US$200 million in the Maldives.

He also said islands leased by the current administration for resort development will open for business in 2016.

Adeeb claimed development is proceeding rapidly due to concessions from the government, such as waiving import duties for construction material and providing sovereign guarantees for foreign loans.

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