Tag: Maldives Police Service

Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid released from custody, brother detained by police

Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid has been released from custody following his 45-day detention in connection with the murder of MP Dr Afrasheem Ali last year.

On the day of his release (January 17) however, Javid’s brother Shahin Mohamed was taken away by police whilst waiting with Javid’s family outside of the court.

Chairperson of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – Javid’s father-in-law – told Minivan News on Thursday that the police “took away” Mohamed without any warning.

“He was waiting for his brother to come out of court and the police came along and took him away. He was waiting silently and they took him without giving a reason,” Manik claimed.

Regarding Mohamed being held by police, Maldives Police Service (MPS) Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said that police would not be releasing any information of the Afrasheem murder case due to the “sensitivity” of the investigation.

Minivan News has since learned that Mohamed was released from police custody three hours after he was taken away by police.

Local media reported that Javid was released after he was brought to court to extend his detention period following the expiry of his previous term.

Javid’s lawyer, according to Manik, said the judge stated there was “no way” Javid could be kept in custody any longer.

“If they had any evidence they would have kept him there,” Manik added.

Former Deputy Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem said that Javid’s 45-day detention was “unreasonable” given that two people had already been charged of the crime.

“As for the arrest it is a constitutional right of the accused – and detained – for his case to be processed through the criminal justice system within a ‘reasonable time’,” Shameem added.

Javid had previously attempted to file a case to High Court claiming that the extension of detention order issued against him by the Criminal Court was unlawful.

However, the High Court ruled that there was no reasonable ground to support this adding that police claimed to have a phone call recording that supported their accusations of Javid’s involvement in the murder.

In December last year the MDP accused the police of attempting to pin Afrasheem’s murder of MDP members instead of going after those guilty of the crime, a statement seen by local media has read.

The party further reportedly stated that police had detained two of its members Mariyam Naifa and Alli ‘Smith’ Hashim for an extended period of time before releasing them without any charges.

Minivan News is awaiting for additional information from Director Department of Judicial Administration Ahmed Maajid regarding the release of Javid.

‘A desperate plea to help free my husband’

In a letter obtained by Minivan News, Javid’s wife Mida Moosa pleaded for the release of her husband claiming that the family were “very confused” regarding the information they had received about his detention.

The letter claims that Javid’s arrest took place hours before parliament was scheduled to finalise a decision on whether the proposed no-confidence vote against President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik should be held via secret votes.

Upon Javid’s initial extension of custodial detention, the letter alleges that Javid was kept in solitary confinement and that this matter was taken to the High Court.

“At the High Court hearing on December 13, MPS stated that Javid was kept in solitary confinement most likely because of an error made by the prison he was kept in,” the letter claims.

After the first 14 days of Javid’s detention the letter notes that he was brought back to court and on December 19 he was given another 15 day extension on his detention.

According to the letter, the prosecutors had brought a request form to court by the MPS stating that Javid was being kept in prison “for his own safety and to interrogate him on some evidence they had regarding the case.”

Afrasheem’s murder

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has claimed that the murder of MP for Ungoofaaru constituency Dr Afrasheem Ali was a well-planned murder and insisted it was politically motivated.

The Commissioner alleged that the assassins were offered MVR 4 million (US$260,000) and that 200 items were collected as forensic and digital evidence.

“Over 500 hours of CCTV footage have been analysed, more than 100 people have been interviewed and about 13,000 phone call recordings have been analysed out of which 12,000 were from one single tower,” Riyaz said.

Afrasheem was killed on October 1. His wife discovered the body lying on the staircase of their home.

Dr Afrasheem was elected to parliament in 2009 as a member of the then-opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP).

Following the opposition’s split, Afrasheem sided with the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and faded into the political background.

Widely considered an Islamic moderate, Dr Afrasheem took outspoken and controversial positions on issues such as allowing the playing of music, and praying next to the deceased.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldives Inland Revenue Authority conducts training program on financial crimes

Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has conducted a training program to increase staff awareness of financial crimes.

A MIRA official told local media that the ‘Investigation Schools Development Program’ was conducted from January 6 to January 10 in cooperation with the police.

“The training program informed MIRA staff on how to act when they encounter cases of tax evasion during auditing or investigations”, the MIRA official was quoted in Sun Online.

Maldives Police Service provided instructors for the program.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Senior UK politicians to be quizzed over Scottish Police College’s training of Maldives officers

Senior UK government figures including Foreign Secretary William Hague are to be quizzed by politicians over the role of a Scottish police college in training Maldivian officers accused of perpetrating human rights abuses in the country.

Following an investigation carried out by UK-based newspaper The Guardian, politicians at Westminster and the Scottish Parliament of Holyrood are to press government ministers on the Scottish Police College’s role in training Maldivian officers.

The Guardian has reported that the MPS stands accused of using “torture and sexual assault against detainees and acting against democracy activists and journalists” after the controversial transfer of power that occurred on February 7 this year.

Police authorities in the Maldives have played down the abuse allegations raised by a number of NGOs such as Amnesty International, questioning possible bias in the data gathered in their reports. The MPS has also said that the allegations of abuse did not reflect the international scope of training provided to officers in the country.

The UK-based newspaper’s investigation reported that at least 77 senior Maldives police officers and commanders – including the Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz – had been trained by the Scottish Police College, located in Fife.

Amnesty International, former senior Maldives officials and opposition activists said they had deep concerns about the UK’s links with the MPS after officers were accused of breaching human rights, the Guardian reported.

The Scottish Police College, which is reportedly earning significant sums of money through working with MPS officers, has an ongoing contract to train Maldives police officers on a diploma course for junior ranks and middle and senior rank officers.

Speaking to the Guardian, the MPS said that it took its obligations seriously, and that reforms recommended by British advisers, as well as consultants from Canada and Australia, were being implemented by the MPS.

MPS spokesman Superintendent Abdul Mannan told the Guardian: “On one hand calling for MPS to be more efficient in dealing with officers’ misconduct and violation of human rights, and on the other calling to suspend all the assistance MPS receives to achieve this, contradicts their [critics] known intention and their actions.”

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz was not responding to calls from Minivan News at the time of press.

Police Spokesman Hassan Haneef told Minivan News today that there was no link between the training local police officers received in Scotland and the allegations of abuses carried out by some of its officers.

“Our training is in accordance to regulation supplied from other countries all over the world, including the UK, Canada and Australia,” said Haneef.

The UK Foreign Office has meanwhile defended the UK’s record in the Maldives, but spoke of concern over the surge in violence since the ousting of Nasheed in February.

“We have serious concerns about allegations of police brutality in Maldives, especially in February 2012,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman told the Guardian.

“We have privately and publicly urged the Maldivian government to fully investigate all allegations and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. We have also called on all parties to ensure institutional reforms are put in place to consolidate democracy and further protect human rights in Maldives.

Farah Faizal, the former Maldives high commissioner to the UK, told the Guardian that close links between British police and the MPS had to be urgently reviewed.

“What I can categorically say is that [the training] doesn’t appear to be working,” she told the paper. “If you see the brutality which is going on in Maldives and the impunity with what’s happening, if these people are being trained by the Scottish police, it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money. It’s unacceptable.”

In November a three-man delegation from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) expressed concern over the failure to punish the police officers who used “excessive force” against MPs earlier this year.

Philippine Senator Francis Pangilinan from IPU’s Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians, speaking to members of the press, revealed: “The delegation is deeply concerned that the police officers who used excessive force against the members of parliament earlier this year have not yet been punished, and that Members of Parliament appear to remain subject to intimidation.

“The delegation points out that in several of the cases in the use of excessive police force, there is clear video evidence available which should have enabled the authorities to take effective and swift action. The delegation therefore calls on authorities to do everything possible to expedite their efforts to a successful conclusion,” Pangilinan said.

A Spokesperson from Scottish Police College at Fife told Minivan News that it would not be reviewing its training procedures, but would be taking guidance from the High Commission on whether its existing agreement with the MPS would continue.

“We are continuing conversations with the High Commission on the matter,” the spokesperson said.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police arrest four people after seizing 91 bullet-sized narcotic packages

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) have seized 91 bullet-sized packets of suspected narcotics, arresting four suspects in connection with the haul on Friday (December 14).

All four suspects were arrested at the ‘Reyalivaa Guest House’ property, according to a press release issued by the MPS.

Police have claimed that the raid on the property was carried out jointly by its drug enforcement department and intelligence department, based on information it had received.

Authorities added that the suspects, who were all arrested under court warrants, included a 19 year -old-female and three males aged 29, 24 and 22.

Investigations are said to be ongoing, according to police.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Afrasheem’s murder was well planned, worth MVR 4 million, claims Police Commissioner

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has claimed that the murder of MP for Ungoofaaru constituency Dr Afrasheem Ali was a well planned murder worth MVR 4 million (US$260,000).

In a press conference held on Tuesday to brief the media about the high profile murder case, Riyaz stated that the new revelations came made amidst several difficult challenges for police investigators.

The commissioner claimed that the investigation team included consultants from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and 80 police officers including forensic, multimedia and legal experts. He added that this was the first case that had been worked on by such a large criminal investigation team.

In a presentation shown during the press conference, Riyaz claimed that 11 suspects were initially arrested, however three had now been released. He added that about 200 items had been analysed as evidence, including forensic and digital evidence, which he claimed was enough to prosecute the prime suspects.

“Over 500 hours of CCTV footage have been analysed, more than a hundred people have been interviewed and about 13,000 phone call recordings have been analysed out of which 12,000 were from one single tower,” Riyaz said.

Afrasheem’s movements right before the murder

The commissioner claimed that Afrasheem was last seen alive inside the premises of the state broadcaster, Television Maldives (TVM). The presentation suggested that Afrasheem was seen leaving the premises in his car around 11:04pm, according to the nearby CCTV camera footage.

Afrasheem left the station after participating in a religious TV program called “Islamee Dhiriulhun” (Islamic Life), with Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Qubad Aboobakuru.

In his last words, aired on the show, Afrasheem said that he was deeply saddened and asked for forgiveness from citizens if he had created a misconception in their minds due to his inability to express himself in the right manner.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed was quoted in local media as saying that the Islamic Ministry had not forced Afrasheem to offer a public apology for anything during his last television appearance and disputed that there was any religious motivation in the death of the moderate scholar.

Photo snaps taken from several CCTV cameras suggested that he had passed the Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) building, the Bank of Maldives (BML) building and Raalhugandu Area, all of which are located in the outermost road of Male, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, police claimed.

Afrasheem had parked his car just a few metres from his residence and had entered it at about approximately 12:04am, police said. The murder occurred just a few minutes later, police alleged.

Afrasheem’s body was discovered by his wife at the bottom of the stairs of their apartment building shortly after midnight.

According to the presentation, the first few police officers arrived at the scene at about 1:30am, exactly one and a half hour later. A second police jeep arrived soon afterwards.

Riyaz stated that following the report of the incident, all police officers patrolling in the capital were brought to alert and were ordered to focus on finding anyone that was acting suspiciously.

Minivan News journalists on the night of the incident observed that police officers in Specialist Operations (SO) uniform entering several coffee shops including Sea House Café’, however no one was seen being arrested.

The Police Commissioner claimed that the first suspect was arrested at 1:55am, just 20 minutes after the incident was reported.

Police also revealed the identities of two suspects arrested in connection with the murder case: Hussen Humaam Ahmed and Ali Shaan, while a 17 year-old minor was also arrested on suspicion of assisting the murder.

Commissioner Riyaz expressed confidence in prosecuting the suspects stating that the police had “enough evidence” to prove all of them guilty. He added that the cases of the suspects would be sent to the Prosecutor General (PG)’s office by the end of this week.

“Political motive behind the murder” – Commissioner of Police

Commissioner of Police alleged that sum of MVR 4 million (US$260,000) was to be paid for the murder of the MP, which he alleged involved a political motive.

“This is an act of terrorism and the people behind this are politicians,” Riyaz claimed.

He alleged that two suspects had been arrested for supposedly financing of the murder, but declined to reveal their identities claiming that the investigation was still ongoing.

He also said that  police had concluded the first part of the investigation which involved identifying who had been directly involved in murdering the MP, and how it was carried out.

“We have been able to establish who did this. We have been able to establish how this happened. The next thing is to find out who was behind this,” he said.

The commissioner also dismissed the rumours that the murder was linked to religious fundamentalists, stating “no evidence has been gathered suggesting that this murder was carried out for a religious motive.”

He further claimed that the findings of the investigation were based on fact and solid evidence and not were intended to create political leverage against the political rivals of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

Riyaz claimed that the prime suspects involved in the murder were from a local gang named ‘Kuda Henveiru’ (Little Henveiru-ward), whose members had previously been involved in several criminal activities.

“The findings reveal that a dangerous trend of ‘killing for money’ is growing within our society. I call upon businessmen and politicians to not to pay money to young people to conduct criminal activities for their benefit,” he said.

Riyaz added that new cases of criminal activities were being revealed through the investigation and that such cases would be dealt with firmly.

Despite repeated questions from journalists as to what the “political motive” involved, Riyaz at first responded stating that he could not go into the details of the case, but later said that police were able comprehend a picture out of its findings but said this needed to be “verified”.

“Zero tolerance”

Riyaz called on parliament members to not to hesitate in giving more powers to the police and said that such vast powers were required to curb growing criminal activities within Maldivian society.

“I know that members of the parliament are hesitant to grant more powers to the police because of the political views they hold. But we need stricter laws to stop such acts from happening. Hesitance to grant more powers isn’t a solution for police discrepancies. Powers should be granted and at the same time they can establish a proper accountability mechanism,” he said.

The commissioner said that police would have “zero tolerance” towards criminals and would utilise all powers and resources at hand in preventing crimes.

“That means, we will not allow a drunkard to freely wander around the street. Police officers will question suspicious people on the road and they have been given the order to stop and search anyone who they feel is suspected of  being a criminal or carrying out a crime,” he said.

He added that special measures have been taken and orders have been given to SO officers to do “crime patrolling” throughout the capital city 24 hours a day.

Riyaz also expressed concern over former President Mohamed Nasheed’s latest remarks in which the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate suggested that Afrasheem’s were foreigners and had fled the country after committing the crime.

“We have no evidence that suggesting the murder was carried out by foreigners. It is really concerning when such remarks are made for political gain,” Riyaz said.

High profile murder

MP Afrasheem was brutally stabbed to death on the night of October 1, outside his home.

Local media reports suggested that the MP was stabbed four times in the back of the head and a chunk of his skull was missing, and that he also suffered stab wounds to the chest and neck. The MP was rushed to ADK hospital where he was pronounced dead.

He was buried shortly before 5:00pm the following day at the Asahara cemetery in Male’.

Thousands gathered for the funeral prayers which took place in the Islamic Centre. The prayers were led by former President and leader of Afrasheem’s party, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Initially, four suspects were arrested by police in connection to the murder and the Criminal Court extended the detention period of the arrestees by an additional 15 days.

However, a female suspect arrested – Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activist Mariyam Naifa – was given a conditional release on October 21 while the detention of the remaining two suspects were extended for another 15 days.

Another suspect was also arrested later in November, after police claimed he was wearing the same coloured shirt as someone caught on CCTV footage near the area where Afrasheem was murdered.

Dr Afrasheem was elected to parliament in 2009 as a member of the then-opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP). Following the opposition’s split, Afrasheem sided with the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and faded into the political background.

Widely considered an Islamic moderate, Dr Afrasheem took outspoken and controversial positions on issues such as the permissibility of playing music, and praying next to the deceased.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

“Challenges” anticipated as Maldives adopts mandatory motor cover

Vehicle owners in the Maldives are be required to have third party motor insurance under new regulations coming into force today or otherwise face paying a potentially indefinite number of fines from police, transport authorities have warned.

Assessing the new law, which will have direct impacts on police and insurance providers in the country, the head of the Transport Authority of Maldives said that a “wait and see” approach would be taken before judging the efficiency of the new regulations and how they are being undertaken.  The authority said it nonetheless held reservations about the actual insurance regulation as well as the capacity of private and state institutions to ensure motorists were correctly registered.

However, the Maldives Police Service has said it does not expect the motor insurance regulations to severely impact officers in carrying out their duties due to an potential increase in workload.

Several key insurers in the country have meanwhile announced measures to try and keep up with demand.  These measures have included extending office hours across the last week and launching an online purchasing of insurance coverage.

The introduction of the new law requiring all owners of two and four wheel motor vehicles on the country’s inhabited islands to have third-party insurance was ratified under the previous government in the form of an amendment to the Land Transport Act.

The insurance bill was required to be brought into force three years from the start of the Act, together with regulations stating that the mechanisms for investigation of accidents, identifying the cost of damage and claim for damage should be made public.

Speaking to Minivan News, Transport Authority Chair Abdul Rasheed Nafiz said that concerns remained over the original legislation amendments, as well as the capacity of private companies to ensure members of the public would be correctly registered in time.

“My question is whether [insurance companies] can finish registering people on time,” he said. “There was a little concern about this, but I have spoken with the companies [this week] and they have said that staff had been sent out to islands to assist with registering. Insurance groups have been extending their office hours to meet demand.”

Nafiz said that in order to speed up the registration process for the country’s motorists, customers would be initially able to obtain coverage for a vehicle providing they present valid documentation proving their ownership. He added that customers would then be able to finalise registration at a later date with insurers as the law comes into place today.

Nafiz also pointed to what he believed were “problems” within the regulation calling for mandatory insurance that needed to be addressed as a result of the law coming into effect without further study.

“The law itself has some problems; any driver found by police not to be insured will have to pay a MVR750 fine. However, there is no limit on the number of times police can charge a person without insurance,” he said.  “In one hour even there can be several violations against the same vehicle. This puts drivers at the mercy of police.”

Nafiz added that insured motorists should nonetheless carry official proof of their insurance policy.

Transport authorities claimed that the new regulations also created challenges for police themselves, with any accidents having to be reported to officers within seven days of occurring.

“Traffic police will then be required to investigate the case and produce an accident report,” he said, adding that a copy of the report would then be sent to the insurer. “We will wait and see how efficient this will be. Police have agreed they will go to accidents to investigate.”

Nafiz also criticised the previous administration for some of the challenges presently being experienced over implementing the mandatory insurance, claiming the former government has undertaken “no work” on the matter after amending the Land Transport Act.

With the regulations coming into place today, Police Spokesperson Hassa Haneef said that officers were already performing random checks on vehicles across the country to check drivers had the correct registration and documents.

“We will be performing checks on a daily basis to ensure vehicle are registered according to the proper rules and regulations,” he said. “This won’t be much different to an officer’s existing work.”

Nafiz said that transport authorities had met with three to four insurers n the country in order to outline a standardised annual cost for vehicle coverage order with the implementation of a mandatory motor insurance policy.

“We managed to get agreement with every company to charge the same amounts in terms of maximum costs. They can charge lower if they like, but the companies have agreed to a maximum amount,” he said. “We have been using TV and radio to try and notify the public about this change.”

Nafiz claimed that under the new insurance scheme, the most that can be claimed was a total of MVR 100,00(US$6500)  an amount designed to cover charges related to injury or vehicular damage. Under this programme, up to 60 per cent of this total amount could be used to cover expenses linked to injuries sustained during an accident.

According to Nafiz, another challenge had been faced in terms of agreeing the basic levels of coverage afforded by the standard vehicle insurance policy – discussions that he claimed had become “heated” at times.

It was proposed that the insurance would cover damages of over MVR 2,500 (US$160). However, from research we conducted, most of the damage caused in vehicle accidents would be to plastic covers on a bike or a bulb on a headlight. These were the type of things we found garages were dealing with,” he said. “So if owners are having to pay MVR 500 (US$32) in costs to repair damage, what is the benefit they are getting from insurance?”

Nafiz contended that such a system would serve only to encourage garages inflating charges to MVR2,500 per bill. In response, he claimed insurers agreed on offering a second option, where a package would be offered that covered damages to vehicles under MVR 2,500. However, such a package would require a customer to pay higher premiums on their policy in return.

Last minute demand

Whilst the new regulations may have led to an influx of custom for some companies, several insurers speaking to Minivan News have said that they face challenges themselves after being increasingly inundated with “last-minute” demand from motorists.

Allied Insurance Company of the Maldives, one of a number of groups providing the third-party vehicle coverage in the country, said that it had seen a large number of customers continuing to request coverage today even after the regulations came into force.

Ahmed Riyazi, Information Systems Manager for the company said that over the course of the last week, demand for vehicle insurance rose from 150 customers a day to 1,000 clients a day.

As well as a surge in custom, the company claimed that it faced other challenges in providing services to customers on the country’s outer atolls.

“Geography has certainly been challenge we have faced [with providing motor insurance], but we are also seeing a lot of late demand from customers,” he said.

In an attempt to overcome the problem, Allied today announced the launch of an online payment service from its website that allows customers to purchase both motor and travel insurance coverage instantly.

Amidst strong demand for vehicle insurance, insurer Amana Takaful has said it has also experienced people “rushing to get a policy at the last minute” as the new regulations were launched.

Imran Ramzan, Assistant Manager of Marketing for Amana Takaful, said the company had as of Sunday (October 7) prolonged its open hours till 10:00pm to try and meet customer demand.

“Even now, demand remains very high as it seems most people have waited until the last minute to arrange insurance for their vehicles,” he said. “This strong amount of last minute demand has created a bottleneck, but we are working with our customers to ensure they are all registered correctly and on time,” he said.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Former President Nasheed will attend willingly if case is heard in legitimate court: MDP

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has condemned the Maldives Police Service for arresting former President Mohamed Nasheed today, terming it an ‘unlawful’ act.

MDP MP Ahmed Sameer stated that the police, who had demonstrated against being issued unconstitutional orders on the February 6, were now doing the same.

Sameer referred to Articles 155 and 245 of the Constitution of the Maldives and Article 53 of the Judicature Act, stating that the police were implementing an order which went against all three articles.

“There are slayings and murders happening continuously, but the focus is instead on politically motivated action against former President Nasheed,” Sameer said.

Sameer also echoed Nasheed’s legal team’s previous statement that there was a case to determine the legitimacy of the Hulhumale’ Court currently pending in the Supreme Court.

“We are saddened that the Supreme Court is continuing to stay silent on the matter, and is making no efforts to inhibit an unlawful order by an unconstitutional court,” Sameer said.

“Why doesn’t the Supreme Court take the initiative and transfer the case against Nasheed from the unlawful Hulhumale’ court to a legally established court? He would willingly attend then,” Sameer further stated.

The police have an ongoing investigation against Sameer which was submitted by the Department of Judicial Administration on September 12 accusing him of “creating public mistrust” towards the Supreme Court.

Former Chairman of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of the Special Majlis, Ibrahim ‘Ibra’ Ismail, has also published an article on his personal blog stating the reasons why the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court cannot be considered a legal entity.

Ismail writes “[Hulhumale’ court] was created by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) without authority derived from Law. Therefore the validity of any order or judgements issued by this court is questionable, and the Constitution says no one has to obey any unlawful orders, i.e, orders which are not derived from law. Therefore, President Nasheed’s decision to ignore the summons has more than reasonable legal grounds.”

Ismail further writes that no court has the power, under any law, to issue a travel ban on a person without ever summoning them to court.

He also stated that there was ample to room to believe that the courts were acting with a bias against Nasheed, owing to a number of other politicians and business tycoons who were repeatedly defying court orders and summons.

At Monday’s press conference MP Sameer and MDP Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik called on the Minister of Home Affairs and seniors representatives of the Maldives Police Service (MPS) to not encourage the case to be carried out in an unlawful court by having the police obey its orders to arrest Nasheed and present him to the hearing.

The MPS has sent out a press release confirming that they have taken Nasheed into custody and that officers were now heading back to the capital with him.

MDP International Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor has also expressed concerns, stating he did not believe Nasheed would be allowed a fair trial.

“This is not about justice. This is a politically motivated trial to invalidate our candidate’s candidacy and to deliberately disrupt the MDP’s presidential campaign. We are in the largest voting centres and it is very clear who will win the elections. They can only win the elections by invalidating his candidacy. We are deeply disturbed by the developing situation. We do not believe he will have a fair trial.”

Meanwhile, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza has stated on his twitter: “After Tuesday morning either you are with us or with the enemy. There is no negotiation or middle ground after Tuesday.”

Riza made the statement on Sunday evening, while the Hulhumale’ Magistrate issued the arrest warrant to the police on Monday afternoon.

Parliament rejects motion against Nasheed’s arrest

Parliament has rejected an emergency motion put forward by MDP MP and Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik against the arrest of Nasheed.

Speaker and DRP Member Abdulla Shahid stated that the motion was rejected on the basis that it concerned a case ongoing in the Supreme Court to validate the legitimacy of the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

He referred to Article 149 of the Parliament Rules of Procedure which states that motions regarding cases ongoing in a court of law could not be accepted by the legislative.

Although Shahid stated that the Supreme Court was currently looking into the legitimacy of the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court, Moosa Manik stated that the motion was not about the Supreme court case, but about a case lodged at an unconstitutional court.

MDP MP Eva Abdulla echoed Moosa’s statement, saying that since the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court was established unlawfully, the arrest warrant for Nasheed issued by the court must be considered invalid.

The motion also spoke of the public outrage that Nasheed’s arrest and unfair treatment against him would cause.

Three magistrates presiding over Nasheed case summoned to Majlis Committee

The Majlis committee with the mandate to oversee work of the executive has summoned the three magistrates appointed to preside over the case against Nasheed regarding the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Justice Abdulla Mohamed.

The three magistrates, whose names have not yet been announced, have been asked to attend the meeting at 3:45pm on Tuesday. Nasheed’s hearing, meanwhile, has been scheduled for 4:00pm Tuesday.

The decision to summon the magistrates was reached in a closed-door meeting of the committee held Monday afternoon.

The committee has an MDP majority with six of their MPs sitting in it, in addition to two  members from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), two members from Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and one member from the Jumhoree Party (JP).

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police investigating MDP MP Sameer for “creating public mistrust” towards the Supreme Court

The Maldives Police Service are investigating MDP MP Ahmed Sameer over allegations of creating public mistrust towards the Supreme Court.

Sameer is Vice Chair of parliament’s Independent Commissions Oversight Committee, responsible for oversight of the judicial watchdog, among others.

The case was filed by the Department of Judicial Administration on September 12, with reference to an interview Sameer had given to local newspaper Haveeru.

The interview, published on 6 September, focused on the Supreme Court ruling against Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding the border control system, and the ensuing statement by ACC.

In the interview, Sameer is quoted as saying, “I am concerned that the Supreme Court has not considered the ACC’s mandate, it’s future and it’s objective. The Supreme Court will need to take responsibility for the all barriers to stopping corruption caused by this ruling.

“The commission has now been made a toothless lion. That isn’t right. The ACC must have the authority to obtain court orders. It won’t be easy to do this through the PG everytime,” he continued.

Sameer had further described the court ruling as having a personal prejudice behind it. He said, “I see it as a personal decision. This is because at a time when ACC is investigating corruption allegations against the Supreme Court itself, the court has made a ruling which takes away the ACC’s powers.”

Haveeru Deputy Editor, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, was summoned to police offices on Monday. He was asked for confirmation as to whether the quotes attributed to Sameer in the article were actually said by him.

Police Media Official Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef has said that the investigation is ongoing. He confirmed that Sameer had not yet been summoned for questioning.

Department of Judicial Administration has earlier filed a case against MDP Chairperson and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, who is now to appear in court for having ‘opened his own court’ last year.

MP Ahmed Sameer’s phone was switched off at the time of press. Local media has reported that he is out of the country.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

MDP MP Ilyas Labeeb summoned to police over charges of disrupting public peace

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ilyas Labeeb has been summoned by police regarding allegations of “disrupting public order” on August 31.

Labeeb told local media today that police claimed he had unlawfully passed police barricades set up in Orchid Magu during protests.

“In the chit police sent to me it did not state the reason for my summoning. So at the police station, I did not answer to any questions and exercised my right to remain silent,” he said.

He also dismissed the allegations of police stating that he had never done anything in contrast to “the constitution or any law”.

The MDP MP, representing one of six seats from Addu City, also alleged that police had summoned him after finishing the investigation of the case.

“They said that they would send the case to Prosecutor General within a week. It gives the idea that they’ve already finished the case,” he said.

Police Media Official Sub inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed Labeeb was summoned for unlawfully passing the police barricade and disrupting public order.

On the same day, former State Minister of Foreign Affairs Aslam Shakir was also arrested on the same grounds and his case has now been forwarded to the Prosecutor General (PG).

Labeeb is the latest addition to the series of MDP MPs being summoned to police following the controversial transfer of power on February 7 in which the MDP led government was ousted.  Almost all now face criminal charges, which may potentially result in them losing their seats.

Arresting of opposition MPs

On June 21, police concluded a case involving MDP Spokesperson MP Imthiyaz ‘Inthi’ Fahmy and sent it to the PG requesting Inthi be charged with disobeying orders, obstructing police duty and physically assaulting a female police officer during an MDP demonstration on May 29, that followed the dismantling of the former ruling party’s protest camp at Usfasgandu.

However in a statement condemning “excessive use of force” against demonstrators, Amnesty International reported that according to MP Imthiyaz, “police in Dhoonidhoo told him he was arrested for ‘disrupting peace’. The next day, in court, police stated that he had been detained for ‘physically attacking a woman police officer.”

Former MDP Chairperson MP Mariya Ahmed Didi was summoned to police police for questioning today regarding confrontations that took place after police entered the MDP protest camp at Usfasgandu on May 29. Didi was also questioned for her alleged involvement in a “plot to attack police officers”, said police at the time.

Police also sent cases involving MDP MPs Hamid Abdul Ghafoor and Ibrahim ‘Bondey’ Rasheed to the PG, requesting the public prosecutor to press charges against MP Hamid for obstructing police duty and requested MP Rasheed be charged for obstructing police duty, assaulting police officers, threatening and creating unrest.

On August 4, Ibrahim Rasheed was arrested and the Criminal Court placed him under house arrest for five days on charges of threatening and attacking a police officer and obstructing police duty.

According to a statement issued at the time by the MDP, Rasheed was taken into custody from a popular cafe in the capital Male’ by “20 militarised police.”

“MP Ibrahim Rasheed was arrested under a warrant obtained by the police relating to an incident two days back on 30 July when it was reported that the MP was “bitten” by a policeman while in the process of being arrested for participating in a protest rally,” the statement read.

Photos surfaced on social media showing bruises on the MPs’ back and the prescription letter from private hospital ADK where he was treated.

On July 22, MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor was arrested after he broke through the police barricades near the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

“We warned him and let him go as he first broke through the police barricades. We arrested him for obstruction of police duties after he broke through again,” police said in a statement.

In a statement following Hamid’s arrest, the MDP said Hamid and other protesters were arrested in violation of the laws stipulated under the constitution and international covenants Maldives is party to.

On August 18, PG pressed terrorism charges against over 40 individuals accused of setting the Seenu Gan police station on fire on February 8, including MDP MP Mohamed Rasheed and Addu City Councillor Ahmed Mirzadh.

Terrorism charges carry a jail term of 10 to 15 years.

Also, Police this Wednesday concluded an investigation in to a case submitted to them by the Judicial Administration and Prosecutor General, regarding Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik’s pronouncement last year that he was opening his own court.

Minivan News tried contacting MP Labeeb and MDP Spokesperson MP Imthiyaz Fahmy, but they had not responded at time of press.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)