Tag: maldives news

Chinese ambassador assures assistance for police

Chinese ambassador to the Maldives, Wang Fukang, has assured assistance from the Chinese government to the Maldives Police Service.

In a meeting on Monday night with 20 police officers selected for a 20-day training programme in China, the ambassador said several training programmes for Maldivian police officers will be arranged in China.

The present trip is the second programme carried out under the ‘seminar for police officers of the Maldives’.

The training programmes were agreed upon during Chinese president Xi Jinping’s state visit to the Maldives last year, he said, adding that the close relations between the Maldives and China is friendly and strong.

He noted that China has also provided 150 motorcycles to police.

Police commissioner Hussain Waheed meanwhile thanked the ambassador for Chinese assistance, which he said is easing police efforts to ensure public order and security.

The 20 senior officers meanwhile departed yesterday for the 20-day conference at the Yunan police officers academy, during which they will be provided information about police leadership, management, combat and command.

The police officers will also visit various police stations in China and attend information sessions.

A police team visited China last year for a similar seminar and training programme.

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Gayoom denies PPM split over Dhiggaru by-election

Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has denied rumours that a faction within the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) is supporting independent candidate Moosa Naseer Ahmed in the upcoming Dhiggaru constituency parliamentary by-election.

Naseer, a Meemu atoll councillor and vice president of the Local Government Authority, had sought the ruling party’s ticket last month, but withdrew his candidacy ahead of the primary.

Gayoom’s eldest son, Ahmed Faris Maumoon, won the primary with a margin of 147 votes after competing against another Meemu atoll councillor.

Speaking to reporters yesterday upon his return to Malé after launching Faris’ campaign in Meemu atoll, Gayoom said he does not believe that senior PPM members encouraged Naseer to run as an independent.

Gayoom, leader of the PPM, said he enjoys strong support in Meemu atoll and that he expects to win the vacant Dhiggaru constituency parliament seat.

Gayoom said he was not aware that any member of PPM was working against Faris, adding that president Abdulla Yameen could not attend the campaign launching due to a heavy schedule.

Naseer was meanwhile expelled from the PPM on Monday by the party’s disciplinary committee.

PPM secretary general Mohamed Tholal told newspaper Haveeru that Naseer was dismissed for breaching the party’s charter by standing as an independent after the party chose its candidate through a primary.

Naseer had had told online news outlet CNM last week that he decided to contest as an independent at the behest of Dhiggaru constituents, who he said wanted a Meemu atoll or Dhiggaru native as their MP.

Naseer had represented Meemu atoll in the Special Majlis from 1983 to 1996 and served as the Meemu atoll member of the People’s Majlis from 1996 to 2000.

The by-election, triggered by a 25-year jail sentence handed down to former PPM MP Ahmed Nazim, is scheduled to take place on June 6.

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Cameraman ‘forced’ to erase footage of PG meeting judge

A cameraman of the opposition aligned Raajje TV was forced to erase footage of a meeting between prosecutor general Muhthaz Muhsin and criminal court judge Abdul Bari Yousuf at a café, the broadcasting commission has found.

The PG allegedly met Bari at the Café Layaali in Malé on March 8 while the latter was presiding over former president Mohamed Nasheed’s terrorism trial.

The pair have denied the meeting took place, and Muhsin has previously said he would resign immediately if the allegations are proven to be true.

Following an inquiry, the commission determined on Monday that the Raajje TV journalists “faced reasons forcing them to delete the footage.”

“As the commission saw that this was a situation that obstructed press freedom, the members who participated in the meeting to conclude this case decided unanimously to appeal to all parties to ensure that broadcasters and the media as a whole do not face such compulsion in order to maintain an environment where journalists can fully exercise the right guaranteed by the constitution and laws without fear,” reads the summary statement of the report prepared the commission.

The commission also investigated a complaint alleging that Raajje TV disseminated false information as PG Muhsin denied meeting the judge. The commission decided that the station did not violate the broadcasting code of content as it had sought comment from both Muhsin and Bari.

The meeting took place days before a three-judge panel sentenced ex-president Nasheed to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges. Judge Bari also presided over ex-defence minister Mohamed Nazim’s trial on weapons smuggling charges.

After Raajje TV reported the alleged meeting, the criminal court barred the station’s reporters from attending hearings. The court accused Raajje TV of “spreading lies about judges, meddling in judges personal affairs and engaging in actions that may harm judges.”

Muhsin meanwhile told Minivan News at the time that the judge was already at the café when he went there for a meal with family members.

However, Raajje TV insisted the pair were sitting at the same table and that Muhsin had walked away when the journalist started asking questions.

At the time, a Raajje TV staff told Minivan News that a group of young men led by Progressive Party of the Maldives MP Ahmed Assad forced the cameramen to delete the footage.

In 2013, the watchdog Judicial Service Commission suspended Judge Bari for over a year pending the outcome of a complaint lodged against him for alleged misconduct.

Although the commission did not reveal any details of the complaint, local media reported that a female attorney from the Prosecutor General’s Office had alleged that Bari had sexually assaulted her.

Bari was cleared of the allegations and resumed duty at Criminal Court on July 24, 2014.

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President Yameen in Pakistan for state visit

President Abdulla Yameen and first lady Fathmath Ibrahim have departed on an official state visit to Pakistan today.

“During the two-day visit, president Yameen will call on his excellency ‎Mamnoon Hussain‎ and hold one-to-one deliberations with Pakistani prime minister his excellency ‎Mohamed Nawaz Shareef, on charting the course ‎for future Maldives-‎Pakistan bilateral ties,” the president’s office said.

“President Yameen and prime ‎minister Nawaz Shareef will also lead official ‎bilateral talks between senior ‎delegations of the two countries.‎”

The president’s office said the Maldives and Pakistan will sign bilateral agreements in the areas of ‎sports, healthcare, education and combating narcotics drugs.‎

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President appoints Dr Ahmed Ziyad as Islamic minister

President Abdulla Yameen appointed Dr Ahmed Ziyad Bagir as the new minister of Islamic affairs today following the resignation of former minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed yesterday.

The president presented Ziyad his letter of appointment while Supreme Court Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla administered the oath of office at a ceremony held at the president’s office this morning.

Ziyad was serving as the principal of the Arabiyya School in Malé.

Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has meanwhile thanked Shaheem for his “valuable service to the nation” as Islamic minister. Shaheem was appointed to the cabinet in February 2012 under ex-president Dr Mohamed Waheed and retained his post under president Yameen.

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President ratifies law stripping Nasheed of MDP presidency

President Abdulla Yameen ratified amendments to the prison and paroles law today that strips ex-president Mohamed Nasheed of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) presidency.

The changes voted through to the Prison and Parole Act last month by the pro-government parliamentary majority prohibit inmates from holding high-level or leadership posts in political parties.

Nasheed is serving a 13-year jail term following his conviction on terrorism charges related to the detention of a judge during his tenure. The opposition says the trial was a politically-motivated attempt by the government to bar Nasheed from challenging president Yameen in the 2018 presidential election.

President Yameen meanwhile ratified the Maldives Islamic university bill as well as amendments to the new penal code.

The Islamic university legislation seeks to upgrade the existing Islamic college or ‘Kulliya’ to a university while changes to the penal code seeks to bring forward its enactment to July 1.

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Court approves 15-day remand detention for JP senior member

The criminal court has ordered police to hold Jumhooree Party foreign and public relations executive Sobah Rasheed in remand detention for 15 days.

Rasheed was arrested from Sunday’s night opposition protest at the artificial beach. Police said he was arrested with a court warrant in connection with an ongoing investigation, but declined to reveal details.

Leaders of the allied opposition parties, including Adhaalath Party president Sheikh Imran Abdulla, main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson Ali Waheed, and JP deputy leader Ameen Ibrahim were arrested with court warrants after Friday’s anti-government mass rally.

Nearly 200 protesters were arrested from the May Day protest after clashes with riot police, of which 175 are being held in remand detention for 15 days.

Rasheed is also a member of the ‘Maldivians against tyranny’ alliance’s steering committee that organised Friday’s protest.

A number of protesters, including former MDP vice presidential candidate Dr Musthafa Luthfy, was also arrested from Sunday night’s protest. However, Luthfy was released after a brief detention.

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Opposition councillors denounce ‘intimidation’ by government

The home ministry is attempting to intimidate island councillors by requesting a list of councillors present in Malé during a mass anti-government protest on May Day, the opposition has said.

Home minister and head of the local government authority, Umar Naseer, last week also asked the anti corruption watchdog to penalise any councillors who may have traveled on state funds to the capital this weekend.

Councillors are required to inform the LGA or the island council before traveling out of their islands.

Nearly 200 people were arrested and scores were injured in violent clashes at the largest anti-government protest in a decade.

Meanwhile, several opposition dominated councils have passed resolutions to boycott the home ministry’s celebrations for the golden jubilee of independence this year. The ministry has threatened to dissolve such councils.

Speaking to the press outside the LGA today, council member for northern Haa Dhaal Neykurendhoo island Mohamed Ibrahim said: “We were elected by the people, we do what they want, nobody voted for Umar Naseer.”

The opposition is protesting over the imprisonment of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed and ex-defence minister Mohamed Nazim. Despite a crackdown on and the dispersal of the May Day protest, the allied opposition parties say they will continue with daily protests.

Deputy chairperson of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, Ali Niyaz, said 300 of the party’s 450 councillors had taken part in the mass protest. There are over a 1,000 councillors for 188 islands and two cities in the Maldives.

“Most of the councillors travelled to the capital using their own funds while others passed resolutions and travelled using state funds,” Niyaz said.

President of Baa Atoll council, Adil Mohamed, has accused the government of attempting to destroy decentralisation in the country by its threat to dissolve councils.

“They could take any action against councillors, but that will fail to hide the suffering of the people,” he said. The MDP councillor also criticised the government’s decision to discontinue electricity subsidies to businesses in the islands saying many businesses were now heading into bankruptcy.

Condemning the home ministry order on the Alif Dhaal atoll council to withdraw a resolution to boycott independence day celebrations, one councillor said: “The country lacks its freedom now and it will be better to work to restore freedom rather than celebrate it.”

Hussein Shaamil, council member of Meemu Kolhufushi, said that councillors were elected for public service, and said he would participate in whatever political activity necessary, whenever required.

Shaamil also called upon the Alif Dhaal council to defend its motion and pledged to support the atoll council.

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Government to screen students for health problems

The government launched a programme to screen seventh grade students for health problems.

The programme – the first of its kind in the Maldives – began yesterday at the Iskandhar School in Malé.

At a ceremony held at the president’s office, the health ministry and education ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct the programme in schools across the country.

The government says the programme will help identify health issues among adolescents and offer treatment for undiagnosed illnesses. The education ministry aims to screen all 5,656 seventh grade students in the Maldives before the end of the year.

The students will be screened for problems with skin, hair eyesight, spine, teeth, throat, respiration, blood circulation and blood pressure as well as diabetes and psychological issues.

Blood tests will also be conducted for haemoglobin levels, blood group, and thalassemia.

 

 

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