Tag: maldives news

Five men arrested on Innamadhoo for alleged rape of 16 year-old girl

Police have arrested five men on the island of Innamaadhoo in Raa Atoll for allegedly raping a 16 year-old girl.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that five men were arrested but declined to provide further information as the investigation was ongoing.

Minivan News contacted the island office and spoke to an Innamaadhoo councillor, who insisted that the five men “would have had sex with her consent.”

“I cannot believe that one would have to rape her, because she is a very wanton girl,” the councillor told Minivan News. “I think her brother somehow found out about it and reported it to police.”

The councillor further added that the 16 year-old girl was not from Innamaadhoo and was a “very bad girl.”

“It’s all allegations, according to Maldivian law the police arrest anyone that the girl points her finger at without even having any evidence that the accused has been really involved in it and will keep them a several days in custody to determine the truth of the allegations,” he complained.

“In the statement given to police, the girl said she did not know who the men were apart from her boyfriend,” the councillor said.

“If she was raped by five men then there will be some external injuries that would be easy to identify, but I have seen the girl after that and she was in good condition and there was nothing unusual about her.”

An islander meanwhile told Minivan News that “some people” had followed the girl and her boyfriend as they saw the couple acting unusual.

“They saw them enter an abandoned house and saw everything that happened,” he said, going on to blame the island council’s deputy chair for attempting to “hide the truth of the story”.

”The council has been very irresponsible and doing no good for the people,” he said. ”Even in this incident the council has tried to hide the truth from the media.”

Minivan News contacted the head of the gender department, Lubna Mohamed, regarding the prevalence of sexual abuse and prevailing societal attitudes in the Maldives, but she did not respond at time of press.

A 2006 study by the then Ministry of Gender and Family found that one in three Maldivian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives, while one in five women in the same age group reported experiencing this from an intimate partner.

Moreover, one in six women in the capital Male’ and one in eight countrywide reported experiencing childhood sexual abuse under the age of 15 years.

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UN Special Rapporteur appeals for cooperation of Iranian government

The new UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, former Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed, has appealed to the Iranian government to extend its full cooperation with his mandate after the Islamic republic refused to permit the Special Rapporteur to enter the country.

In July, Iran’s secretary general of the high council for human rights dismissed “the western-engineered appointment” of Dr Shaheed as Special Rapporteur as”an illegal measure,” according to the Tehran Times.

“Iran has no problem with the individual who has been appointed as the special rapporteur, but the appointment of a rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran is unacceptable and Iran will not accept the decision,” Mohammad Javad Larijani was quoted as saying.

According to according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Dr Shaheed however expressed hope that “the Iranian authorities will view my mandate as a secure and legitimate space in which to take steps to comply with its international human rights obligations, as well as an opportunity to address the areas of concern communicated to Iran during its interactions with the international community on human rights issues.”

Dr Shaheed said on his first day as Special Rapporteur that the new mandate “provides an opportunity for Iran to engage on a range of human rights issues that have been raised by the international community.”

“I issued a written communication to the Iranian authorities to introduce myself and express my interest in visiting the country,” he said. “My first report shall be submitted to the sixty-sixth session of General Assembly, and I have sought meetings with the Iranian Ambassador to the UN Offices in Geneva ahead of that date to discuss a platform for cooperation in the months ahead.”

According to a statement by the OHCHR, Dr Shaheed is seeking cooperation of the Iranian authorities in the interest of fair and accurate reporting on its human rights situation, and developing constructive engagement between Iran and the UN human rights machinery.

“Every effort shall be made to demonstrate both the steps that the Iranian authorities can take to comply with Iran’s international obligations, as well as to draw attention to the grievances of those who feel victimized by alleged human rights violations,” Shaheed stressed.

Dr Shaheed resigned as Foreign Policy Advisor to the President this week before officially commencing his duties as Special Rapporteur on August 1, 2011. Prior to his appointment as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran on June 17, 2011, Dr Shaheed served as foreign minister under both the incumbent and previous administrations.

In an interview with Minivan News following his appointment, Dr Shaheed conceded that the Iranian government’s refusal to allow the Special Rapporteur to enter the country was “a challenge, but by and large they come around in the end.”

“The last time a Special Rapporteur was in Iran was in 1996. Countries eventually come round, but it takes time,” he said. “The work of the special rapporteur is structured in such a way that even if a field visit is not possible the work can continue.”

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Land Act amendments to allow private ownership of land

Parliament began debate today on amendments proposed to the Land Act of 2002 to allow citizens to use land as a commercial asset.

Presenting the draft legislation on behalf of the government, MP Abdul Gafoor Moosa explained that the amendments would allow land to be bought and sold as privately-owned assets.

“In our long history, land was used as a gift given by the government to its supporters,” he said. “After [years of] distributing land like this in Male’, the new generation gets a plot the size of a bed. There is nothing left for tomorrow’s generation.”

The amendments would create a Land and Survey Authority to draw territorial charts, conduct surveys of land use and valuate property, he added, as well as a Registrar of Land to maintain a national registry.

“So those who want to mortgage land will know the value of their land and be able to mortgage it easily,” he said, adding that the new authority would be part of the civil service and answerable to a cabinet minister.

The proposed law would introduce procedures for individuals and married couples to register state-owned land as personal property, Gafoor continued, which would provide “necessary security and protection for everyone.”

The government would also be legally empowered to seize plots that remain unused for five years, said Gafoor, while the current 15 percent tax on estate sales would be abolished.

Speaking in his weekly radio address on June 10, President Mohamed Nasheed argued that the proposed reforms to land transactions would increase the country’s wealth.

The government’s aim was to transfer land titles traditionally held by the state to individuals, said Nasheed, who would be encouraged to use the land as capital to increase their wealth.

Together with the amendments to the Land Act, the government has also proposed a bill on condominiums to create a legal framework to allow individual ownership of real estate or apartments in a single building. An additional bill on mortgages would meanwhile allow apartments to be mortgaged at the bank to obtain loans.

In the parliamentary debate today, MP Ibrahim Rasheed of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) observed that 80 percent of land in the Maldives was state-owned.

Rasheed urged MPs to pass the bill into as quickly as possible “to ensure for the Maldivian people their birth-rights.”

MPs of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), People’s Alliance (PA), Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) as well as some Independents however argued that some provisions in the law conflicted with the Decentralisation Act by divesting authority from local councils.

DQP MP Riyaz Rasheed said that articles 86 through 89 of the bill were intended to “steal all the powers [afforded to local councils] in the Decentralisation Act.”

“What they’re trying to do is gift all the land in the country to these MDP people and their supporters,” he said.

Riyaz alleged that the government recently awarded a plot in Male’ to India for a new embassy building in exchange for “buying a few MPs for MDP.”

“I will dare to say this, what can you do about it, you can’t do anything,” he said. “The Maldives will soon become a small province of India, a small town. Our own identity is being taken from us and the whole country is going to become enslaved to them.”

The new administration has “sold all our assets” to India, he added.

PA MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakur meanwhile concurred that the law would disenfranchise councils, recommending that experts be consulted during committee stage before the law is passed.

DRP MP Hassan Latheef suggested that the law should stipulate that councils must be consulted by the Land and Survey Authority before making decisions on land use in the islands.

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Racing motorbike crashes into police van in Fuahmulah

A racing motorbike in Fuahmulah crashed into a police van at about 11:00pm last night.

Sun Online reports that the motorbike was driven by a 16 year-old, who escaped with minor injuries.

According to police, the 16 year-old was racing with his friends but lost control of his vehicle after not slowing down for a speed bump.

The headlight of the police van was smashed in the accident.

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Adhaalath Party condemns Tourism Ministry’s decision over unpaid rents and fines

The religious conservative Adhaalath Party has condemned the Tourism Ministry for backing down on threats to withhold operating licenses of resorts with unpaid rent and fines.

The Tourism Ministry warned resort facilities with unpaid rents and fines to settle at least 25 percent of the outstanding amounts by July 20 or face revoking of licenses. However the ministry later decided not to follow through on the warning after at least seven out of ten resorts failed to comply within the period.

“Adhaalath Party believes that this decision made by the Tourism Ministry not to withhold the licenses will have adverse affects on society,” said the Adhaalath Party in a press statement. “It would cause the public to lose confidence in a state institute.”

Adhaalath Party claimed to have information that resorts owned by a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP and Economic Advisor to the President along with a candidate for the MDP Chairperson post were among the resorts on the list.

“This decision of the Tourism Ministry will encourage individuals and businessman not to uphold the laws,” the party said. “As a result, the state will have to face difficulties in collecting revenues owed and it is possible that it affects the domestic economy.”

The party said that it was “very irresponsible” of the Tourism Ministry to make such a decision, adding that a delegation from Adhaalath is due to meet ministry officials over the issue.

Following the Tourism Ministry’s decision, the Commissioner General of Taxation Yazeed Mohamed told newspaper Haveeru that “even if the Tourism Ministry does not take measures, MIRA will fulfill its legal responsibilities.”

MIRA is currently pursuing cases at the Civil Court against a number of tourist facilities to recover unpaid rents.

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Male’ City Council, MIFCO to open new raw fish market

Male’ City Council and the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) is set to open a new raw fish market at the T-jetty area of the Male’ southwest harbour.

The new market to be opened at 4:00pm tomorrow will be located at the old Champa Market plot.

Councillor Ibrahim Shuja told Sun Online today that the purpose of the new market was to provide affordable raw fish to the public following recent price hikes.

A filleted fish is to be sold between Rf75 and Rf80 while raw fish will be sold for Rf35 to Rf40.

Shuja said that the fish sold at the market would be “freshly caught” catch brought from MIFCO vessels.

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Parliament extends regulations without parent legislation for additional six months

Parliament voted 37-13 today to extend by an additional six months regulations without enabling or parent legislation when the new constitution was ratified.

Over 80 regulations and procedural rules in place when the new constitution was ratified in August 2008 has been extended annually since then until enabling legislation – such as a Criminal Procedures Act, a revised Penal Code and a Drug Bill in committee since 2009 – could be passed. The previous extension approved in August 2010 was due to expire on August 5 this year.

Under the motion passed today, the parliamentary Rules Committee will be tasked with supervising the finalisation and passage of the required legislation within the proposed six months period.

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Parliament committees resume work

Parliament committees resumed work this week after a two month hiatus caused by a drawn out dispute over reconstituting the composition of committees.

Chairs and deputy chairs were chosen for the committees yesterday, with the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) getting its MPs as chairs for six of the 12 standing committees.

Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim was elected as chair of the coveted ‘241’ Security Services Committee with MDP MP “Reeko” Moosa Manik as deputy chair.

Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed chairs the Independent Institutions Committee while opposition MPs chair the Social Affairs Committee, Privileges Committee, Government Oversight Committee and Public Accounts Committee.

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MDP opens administrative offices in all inhabited islands

The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) opened administrative offices in each inhabited island of the Maldives this week.

Speaking at a function on Monday, Chairperson “Reeko” Moosa Manik explained that the costs of the new offices were borne by party members and councillors.

The offices will liaise with the Head Office in Male’ to organise party activities, Moosa said.

The MP for Hulhu-Henveiru added that the new offices would help a membership drive to increase the party base to 50,000 from its current 47,301, making it the largest party in the country.

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