Tag: maldives news

Three assault cases a day on average reported to police

As of August this year, 775 assault cases have been reported to police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ali Rasheed said last night at a ceremony to revive the spirit of Ramadan.

MNBC One reports that Rasheed noted that the number of reported incidents amounted to three assault cases a day, adding that the cases included three fatalities this year.

Rasheed said that “obstruction to police investigation of assault cases” from parents and some segments of society was an obstacle to police efforts to combat crime.

Speaking at last night’s religious programme, Rasheed observed that 1,519 cases of assault were reported last year, the majority of which involved youth offenders.

Meanwhile two men were taken into custody around 2:45am early this morning on suspicion of planning an assault.

According to police, the pair were forcibly arrested in a small alley near Scoop Restaurant by the Maafanu Police Station who were alerted by a member of the public.

A one-foot long Bennet knife was confiscated from one of the suspects.

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MIRA to accept all payments except tourism taxes in rufiya

All payments to the state except tourism-related taxes will henceforth be accepted only in Dhivehi rufiya, the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) announced today.

On August 9, the cabinet decided that all fees and payments to the government must be paid in local currency, in a bid to alleviate an acute dollar shortage in the Maldivian economy.

According to a press statement issued by MIRA, Commissioner General of Taxation Yazeed Mohamed said today that the authority was in the process of implementing a directive from the Finance Ministry to enforce the cabinet’s decision.

Discussions were taking place with concerned authorities to finalise administrative matters to collect payments in rufiyaa, MIRA said in its statement.

“Efforts are underway in collaboration with the Finance Ministry to amend the Tourism Goods and Service Tax (T-GST) Act and Tourism Act to accept T-GST, tourism tax, lease rent/land rent and fee for extending resort lease period in Dhivehi rufiya,” MIRA said, adding that once the amendments were brought, the tourism taxes would be collected in local rufiyaa starting from next month.

The MIRA press release stated that “the authority regrets” media reports claiming that MIRA was ordered to accept payments only in US dollars from August 13 onward as “we believe the news reports were misleading regarding MIRA’s efforts in this matter.”

Local media reports last week suggested a dispute between MIRA and the Finance Ministry over the cabinet decision.

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Government submits bill to establish mercantile court

The government has introduced a Mercantile Court bill to the parliament with the purpose of establishing a separate court with a separate seal and special jurisdictions to solve disputes involving business transactions in the Maldives.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Musthafa submitted the bill to parliament on behalf of the government.

According to the bill, the Mercantile Court will consist of a Construction Division, Banking and Financial Division, Tourism Division, Investment Division, Goods and Services Division and Proprietary Division.

The bill also gives the Chief Judge of the Mercantile Court the powers to include any other divisions that the court finds that it lacks.

The bill will give the court jurisdiction to handle cases relating to business transactions concerning tourism, construction, international business, insurance, civil aviation, maritime, shipping, finance leasing, banking and finance, securities, fishing, company, partnership, professional liability and intellectual property rights.

The Mercantile Court will also handle contract, trade and service provision, consumer and service recipient protection in matters worth more than Rf 15 million (US$1 million).

According to the bill, the Mercantile Court has the jurisdiction to issue any sort of warrant or orders on its own initiative or upon a request made by a person to uphold justice or to prevent the judiciary from being misused.

The court’s bench will consist of seven judges, and significantly, a Muslim foreigner may be appointed as a judge at the court.

The bill comes following concerns aired recently by international organisations such as the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) that the existing Maldivian judiciary lacked the independence and capacity to rule in cases involving complex civil proceedings.

Speaking to Minivan News in March after several weeks observing the operation of the Maldives’ Judicial Services Commission (JSC), former Australian Supreme Court Justice Professor Murray Kellam said that an impartial judicial system was a key factor in encouraging foreign investment and could have a direct and significant impact on the economy.

This was something that Singapore recognised 15 years ago, he said.

“They understood the value of a civil system that is incorruptible and competent. They spent a lot of money on their judiciary and Transparency International now rates their civil legal system as one of the best in the world.

“Singapore realised that one of the best ways to attract investment was to have a system whereby international investors knew they would get a fair go in domestic courts. If you look at the circumstances in other parts of the world where investors have no confidence in the judiciary, that deters investment and takes it offshore. They’ll go somewhere else.

Citing Adam Smith, considered one of the founders of modern capitalism, Kellam observed that “Commerce and manufacturers can seldom flourish long in any state which does not enjoy a regular administration of justice, in which people do not feel themselves secure in possession of their property, in which the faith of contracts is not supported by law.”

As a foreign investor, Kellam said, “you want to know that contact you enter into with domestic partners will be understood and enforced by courts if there is a breach. You want courts to judge you impartially – you don’t want to be discriminated against because you are a foreigner.”

“Secondly, it’s no good getting judgement if no there is enforcement – which is a major factor in developing countries. Sure you can get a judgement, but it’s not worth the paper it’s written on because there is no process for getting it enforced, and you can’t turn judgements into anything productive.”

Singapore had recognised this, and become not only a hub for foreign investment but also a regional hub for commercial arbitration, Kellam said.

“People from around the region will use Singapore as a place of law and business,” Kellam observed.

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Parliament approves appointment of Defence and Fisheries Ministers

Parliament today approved the appointments of Dr Ibrahim Didi as Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture and Tholhath Ibrahim Kaleyfan as Minister of Defence and National Security.

Dr Didi was approved 40-35 after Jumhooree Party MP Gasim Ibrahim and Independents Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam Mohamed, Ahmed Amir, Ali Mohamed, Ismail Abdul Hameed and Mohamed Zubair voted with the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Tholhath Ibrahim meanwhile received parliamentary consent with 50 votes in favour and 24 against.

Both the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and the independently functioning opposition parliamentary group had declared their intention to reject the reappointment of Dr Didi on the grounds that he had failed to receive parliamentary consent in November, 2010.

Dr Didi was among seven ministerial appointees who did not receive parliamentary consent in November.

DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali told press last month that the party did not accept “the President appointing someone parliament has already rejected.”

In its report presented today after evaluating Dr Didi, the Government Oversight Committee – comprised of six oppositon and four MDP MPs – meanwhile recommended that his appointment be rejected on the same grounds.

The committee however recommended approving the nomination of Tholhath Ibrahim as Defence Minister.

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Nine year old boy dies after apparent suicide attempt

A nine year-old boy who was hospitalised following an apparent suicide attempt on Thinadhoo in Gaaf Dhaal Atoll on July 29 has died of his injuries.

Haveeru reported a family member as stating that doctors at Indhira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGHM) had given up hope for the child’s recovery last week, and that the boy’s condition deteriorated after he was removed from intensive care yesterday.

Police said at the time that the boy was found hanging from a coconut palm and was rescued by his 14 year-old brother.

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DQP MP submits resolution to cut fuel surcharge

The Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has submitted a resolution to parliament calling on the government to cut the fuel surcharge included in the electricity bill every month.

In the resolution, DQP MP Riyaz Rasheed claims that the fuel surcharge was “a type of tax unapproved by the parliament and taken from the citizens, despite the laws clearly stating that any tax could only be taken after parliament approves it.’’

“When President Mohamed Nasheed was campaigning for the presidential election, the pledge he made publicly was to lower the electricity tariff,” Riyaz Rasheed said in the resolution. “It could be believed that raising the electricity tariff from month to month is a deliberate attempt made by the government to make the citizens poor.”

In the resolution the MP says that electricity is one of the country’s basic needs and that due to the hike in electricity tariffs, “today citizens have to spend bulk of their wage on electricity.”

The resolution also says that the owners of medium-sized businesses were worried about the future of their businesses “because of the government’s decision to float the dollar exchange rate in to a band of Rf10.28 – Rf15.42 which has made the prices of goods increase.”

The MP also called on the government to cease withdrawing taxes from the citizens in the name of fees or charges “at a time when adults and children are forced to live in poverty.”

In May last year the main opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) led protests outside State Electric Company (STELCO) complaining about increased electricity tariffs.

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“Moosa is a big liability”: MDP MP ‘Colonel’ Nasheed

MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) representing Upper North constituencies boycotted a rally last night dubbed “Big Picture for Bodu Thiladhunmathi [Haa Alif, Haa Dhaal, Shaviyani and Noonu Atolls]” in protest of acting Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik allegedly using party resources for “self-promotion.”

MDP MP for Nolhivaram ‘Colonel’ Mohamed Nasheed explained that the MPs decided not to attend the rally as “the purpose was not made clear and there was no discussion with us before it was organised.”

“The second reason is because we believe the party mechanism is being abused to promote a certain person,” Colonel said, referring to former parliamentary group leader Moosa Manik.

Colonel speculated that Moosa was preparing to launch a bid for the MDP ticket for the 2013 presidential campaign.

“We have advised President [Mohamed] Nasheed repeatedly that we should not be making enemies,” he said. “But what we’re seeing from Moosa every day are calls for someone to be killed or arrested.”

Moosa had become “a big liability” for the government and ruling party because of his tendency to “make enemies” and put personal interest before the party, Colonel said.

“Major successes of the party are rolled back because of one word from Moosa,” he continued. “MPs [from other parties or non-aligned] that we bring to the party after a lot of hard work is lost because of Moosa’s personal issues.”

He added that the ruling party suffered as a result of Moosa “making enemies of politicians, businessmen, the judiciary and certain media.”

“There is no one in this country who isn’t an enemy of Moosa Manik now,” he said.

Moosa has been engaged in a long-running feud with private broadcaster DhiTV, which routinely carries allegations of corruption against the MDP Chairperson, notably in the awarding of a US$21 million reclamation project to Moosa’s company Heavy Load.

Moosa meanwhile alleges that 168 bottles of alcohol found in his car while he was in Singapore was an attempt to frame him by the owner of DhiTV, Champa Mohamed Moosa.

“A media channel in this country has used my photo, my car, my family, my children and my name to do business and I want to sue for compensation,” Moosa told Minivan News at the time, referring to DhiTV’s continuous coverage of the incident.

Colonel noted that the allegations in the media were harmful to the ruling party: “I’m not saying the accusations are true, but Moosa has not been able to prove his innocence,” he said.

He urged the party’s acting chairperson to be “more focused” and “make friends instead of enemies.”

Speaking to Minivan News today, Moosa Manik however claimed that he was “not aware that anyone boycotted last night’s rally.”

Moosa also dismissed Colonel Nasheed’s criticism: “Colonel wouldn’t seriously say that about me,” he insisted. “He must have been trying to fool somebody. It must have been a joke.”

Haa Alif Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed told Minivan News that last night’s rally was announced “suddenly without any discussion” while MPs were busy preparing for a ceremony tomorrow night to unveil the government’s economic reform agenda.

While MPs Hamid Abdul Gafoor, Ilyas Labeeb and Hussein Waheed were only MPs who attended the rally, Rasheed claimed that all three left when they “understood what was happening.”

Rasheed speculated that the “hidden agenda” behind the rally was Moosa’s campaign for the MDP presidential ticket.

“I am certain of [Moosa’s plan to run for presidency],” he said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t be trying to damage and undermine the dignity and integrity of the government.”

President Nasheed met MPs recently to discuss the economic reform package, said Rasheed, and “asked us not to act like children in parliament and argue and scream at each other all the time.”

“[But] Moosa’s nuisance is now worse for us than nuisance from the opposition,” he said, claiming that “every time there is an important vote Moosa angers all the opposition MPs and businessmen in Majlis.”

He added that Moosa’s habit of “making enemies” resulted in MDP losing support of opposition and Independent MPs.

“There is a very important vote tomorrow where we are going to need the support of two opposition MPs,” he explained, referring to a vote on the agenda for Monday’s sitting to approve the president’s nominees for Fisheries Minister and Defence Minister.

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Agreement signed with India for US$40 million line of credit

An agreement has been signed with the Indian Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) for a US$40 million line of credit for 500 housing units to be built with assistance from the Indian government.

According to the Maldives High Commission in New Delhi, India, the agreement was signed Friday with the High Commission’s Councillor Aishath Azima signing on behalf of the Maldives and Chairman T. C . A Ranganadhan on behalf of the bank.

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Umar Naseer’s fire and security firm denies contract to supply GMR

Local fire and security technology firm Alarms Pty Ltd, owned by prominent opposition politician Umar Naseer, has refuted media reports that it won a contract to supply equipment for GMR’s development of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

MNBC and Haveeru quoted an unamed GMR official as confirming that Alarms had been contracted to supply fire and security services to the airport. However a press statement from Umar Naseer’s company denounced the “false media reports”, stating that it was “regrettable that such a false report could be made public by two of the largest media outlets in the country.”

Umar Naseer was among the most vocal opponents of the decision to hand the upgrade and management of the international airport to the Indian infrastructure giant, variously accusing the government, GMR, DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid of corruption in the deal.

Speaking to Minivan News in June last year, Naseer described the decision to hand the management of the airport to GMR as “ridiculous”, alleging that it would not only result in the loss of thousands of jobs, but also take away the Maldives’ authority to decide which flights would be permitted to land at the airport.

”That means, if [the operators] allowed it, an Israel flight can come and stop over after bombing Arab countries,” Naseer claimed at the time.

Spokesperson for GMR Mohamed ‘Kudu’ Ibrahim told Minivan News that Alarms was the sole distributor for a particular system supplied to the existing airport 3-4 years ago when it was under the management of Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

“It is not even a contract. Alarms is the sole distributor for the system and it is impossible to get the brand from anyone else [in the Maldives],” he explained. “If there is a problem or a breakdown GMR also brings in technicians from Alarms.”

On its website, Alarms explains that “the very essence of Alarms Pte Ltd comes from the various experiences of Mr Umar Naseer. During his 7-year career in the National Security Services (NSS) he led several investigations of resort fires. He also investigated the cause of many major fires that occurred in Male’ during that period. His experience led him to believe that a private fire and security industry would help the country in many ways.”

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