Tag: maldives news

President apologises on behalf of state to people of Thinadhoo

President Mohamed Nasheed has apologised to the people of Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo for “injustices resulting from measures taken by the government of the day” to end a short-lived secession of three southern atolls from 1959 to 1963.

Speaking at a working session of the cabinet held in Thinadhoo yesterday, President Nasheed said that the Thinadhoo Island Council had requested the apology and acknowledged that the central government in Male’ had “acted unjustly” towards the people of Thinadhoo in the suppression of the separatist movement.

Havaru Thinadhoo, historical capital of Huvadhu atoll, was attacked and depopulated on the orders of Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir in February 1962.

Following Tuesday’s official apology at the cabinet meeting – held outside Male’ for only the second time – Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik noted that his grandfather was among those forcibly expelled and stressed the importance of documenting the events in official Maldivian history.

Dr Waheed told state broadcaster MNBC One that “today the President who is the highest official of state has asked the forgiveness of the people on behalf of the state.”

“As someone who hails from Thinadhoo, I am very happy and grateful for [the apology]. I rest assured that everyone will accept the apology by the state,” he said.

The cabinet meanwhile discussed a request by the island council to revert the island’s name to ‘Havaru Thenadhoo’ and decided to hold a public referendum on the proposal.

The working session of the cabinet in Thinadhoo was attended by state and deputy ministers, island councillors and directors of regional corporations and featured a presentation on planned development projects.

At a ceremony after the cabinet meeting, President Nasheed inaugurated the Thinadhoo Development Corporation to develop the reclaimed area of the island and handed over the completed stadium of the Upper South Province to the island council.

Inhabited islands of the Maldives “have to be connected and linked together to ensure development,” Nasheed said at the ceremony.

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National Security Committee to summon former President Gayoom

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik has proposed summoning former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to the parliamentary National Security Committee yesterday over his alleged involvement in US$800 million worth of blackmarket oil trade with Burma.

The Hulhu-Henveiru MP, a member of the MDP-dominated committee, proposed summoning Gayoom and other senior officials of the former government suspected of involvement in the secret trade conducted by the State Trading Organisation’s (STO) Singapore branch.

Moosa’s proposal was backed by other MDP MPs as well as minority opposition People’s Alliance (PA) MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla.

Moosa told Minivan News today that the committee will summon Gayoom after gathering necessary information.

“Because this is a very serious issue and it is a serious allegation, it requires the committee to question him and other persons believed to be involved in this black-market oil trade,” Moosa said.

On August 2, a resolution calling for an investigation into the allegations submitted by MDP MP Mohamed Musthafa was sent to the National Security Committee, which began deliberations at its meeting yesterday.

National Security Committee Chair MP Ali Waheed told press yesterday that the committee decided to send out letters to the relevant authorities in the Maldives as well as Singapore to gather information.

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) Z-faction MP Ahmed Nihan meanwhile told Minivan News that the committee’s decision was a “psychological attack” on the party’s ‘Honorary Leader’ (Zaeem) Gayoom.

“The committee does not have any sincerity in their work, it is all about the personal grudge that Moosa has for Gayoom,” Nihan said. “The committee does have the authority to summon persons and inviting former president to the committee is nothing to be concerned about.”

Nihan suggested that the committee should also investigate allegations that the committee’s chair MP Ali Waheed – former Deputy Leader of the DRP – received US$2 million by defecting to the ruling party.

“The committee should also investigate the allegations that there was corruption in the US$21 million Thilafushi project that Moosa is conducting,” Nihan said.

He added that opposition MPs would soon submit a resolution calling for an investigation into President Mohamed Nasheed allegedly consuming alcohol in front of Indian journalists in December 2008.

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BML suspends Vilingili branch employee for alleged fraud

An employee at Bank of Maldives (BML) in the Gaaf Dhaal Atoll Vilingili branch has been suspended on allegations of fraud.

The bank did not identify the employee to the press.

A person from the island told Haveeru that the employee had allegedly sent a forged letter to the branch manager in the account owner’s name, requesting that Rf 2,000 (US$130) be transferred to another account.

It is believed that the money was transferred to the account of one of the employee’s friends.

The fraud came into light when the account owner’s mother went to the bank to withdraw Rf 2,000 only to find that the amount was not available.

“When the bank told her that the account did not have that much cash in it she objected, stressing that her child had deposited the amount. The employee was suspended after the bank tracked down the transaction,” the person said.

In a statement forwarded to Haveeru, the bank said employees found responsible for the fraud had been suspended and that the bank, like any other bank in the world, sometimes faced cases of staff fraud.

“But given the millions of transactions made at the bank annually, the numbers of fraud cases are considerably less compared to global rates of such incidences,” the statement read.

The statement further noted that the mechanism necessary for customer protection is fully established at the bank and that a system, which allows the tracking of transactions and all customer-employee exchanges, is accessible at all times.

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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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DRP MP proposes two-year lease extension for resorts under development

Amendments were proposed to the Tourism Act today to extend leases by two years to offer a “construction period” for tourist resorts, hotels and guest houses with stalled development.

Presenting the amendment bill to parliament, MP Mohamed Mujthaz of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) explained that the legislation would write-off unpaid fines from the new resorts as heavy fines were an impediment to financing the development or attracting foreign investors.

“Of the 84 islands leased for resort development, only 10 have been completed while 74 have not,” he said. “With the current prices in the construction industry, millions of dollars are needed to develop the most ordinary resort. Considering the 74 islands with stalled development, this is a large amount.”

He added that local banks did not have the capacity to finance the projects while international financial institutions were not “too supportive.”

If passed into law, the proposed amendments would also replace existing guidelines for calculating fines for non-payment of rent. Under the new rates, fines for non-payment of rent for one quarter would be set at five percent of the total rent; 12 percent for two quarters; 18 percent for three quarters; 25 percent for three quarters; and 50 percent for one year of unpaid rent.

Moreover, article 8(c) of the bill states that the government must not charge rent for the two-year construction period.

In the preliminary debate on the amendments, MP Riyaz Rasheed of minority opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) criticised the current government for “not paving the way to obtain loans” and leasing additional islands for development.

DRP MP Yousuf Naeem however noted that the amendments had “serious problems.”

Naeem – affiliated with the Z-faction of the DRP – claimed that similar amendments previously passed to extend resort leases to 50 years “is now in the process of being abolished by the Supreme Court.”

“The reason is because some honourable MPs voted for it in violation of clause 158(a) of parliamentary rules of procedure,” he explained, referring to a conflict of interest on the part of resort owners in parliament.

The MP for Felidhoo noted that as some resort development projects had been stalled for six or seven years, he did not support a further extension of two years with suspended rent.

“These islands were leased after competitive bidding processes with many parties,” he said, adding that it would be disrespectful towards the rights of losing bidders if the government were to write-off debts or unpaid fines.

“The government is owed US$154 million in fines alone, not to speak of rents,” he continued.

MP Mohamed Riyaz of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) concurred with Naeem and questioned whether a two-year extension would allow the resorts to become operational.

MDP Hamid Abdul Gafoor noted that the state was owed US$320 million as unpaid rent and fines, which was “not a small amount” to be written off.

DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom however argued that parliament was forced to “enter micro-governance” as a result of the current administration’s “insincerity” and “disregard of the law and doing things in the margins.”

The proposed law would ensure that the government could not impose double standards on tourist businesses, Mausoom said.

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Decentralisation Act puts Male’ mosques under council control

Male City Council plans to take responsibility for city mosques by next month, Haveeru reports.

The plan is said to be in accordance with the Decentralisation Act. Mosques and cemeteries in Hulhumale and Villimale will also be under the council’s remit.

A management plan for the Islamic Ministry is currently being drafted by the council, reports Haveeru . The plan would allow the council to manage the Imams and administrative workers.

The council is also discussing taking over the Islamic Centre, which it claims is one of its remits under the Decentralisation Act.

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Police recover safe stolen from West Park restaurant

Police have recovered a safe stolen from West Park restaurant this morning and apprehended six suspects.

According to the police website, a capital police patrol in the area grew suspicious and took the group of men into custody at about 7:30am. A taxi cab and a motorcycle used by the group were also impounded by police.

Police have recovered all items reported stolen from West Park.

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Two economic reform bills sent to committee

Two bills of the government’s economic reform package were sent to committee for further review at today’s sitting of parliament.

While the amendments to the Land Act was approved 37-34, the mortgage bill was approved narrowly with 37 votes in favour and 36 against.

The government’s economic reform package includes 18 pieces of legislation, which would introduce direct taxation, excise import duties for most commonly-used items and facilitate ease of doing business.

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Coastguard gives up search for missing Japanese tourists

The coastguard of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has given up its search for two Japanese tourists who went missing from the Adaaaran Hudhuranfushi Resort last week.

According to the MNDF, the search went on by air and sea for three days, covering the resort’s house reef and sandbanks in the region.

The coastguard has however appealed to vessels traveling the area to be on the lookout for the bodies of the missing Japanese couple.

A decomposing female body meanwhile washed ashore on Adaaran Hudhuranfushi Sunday while the MNDF search was ongoing. Police have yet to determine the identity of the corpse.

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