Tag: maldives

Police Commissioner urges customs to stop import of illegal animals

Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed has told customs that police are spending as much time confiscating illegal animals as they are seizing drugs.

Waheed yesterday (16 March) met with Commissioner General of Customs Ahmed Mohamed and a delegation of senior customs official to discuss the increase in illegal animals being discovered during recent drug operations.

Commissioner Waheed told customs officials that in the past two weeks police have discovered illegal animals during special operations conducted to raid drug networks.

An illegal snake was also found on the streets on Male last week.

A police statement reported that Waheed told officials that citizens were now in constant fear, noting that the police do not have any role in the airports and other ports.

He also said that police now needed to conduct as many operations to confiscate illegal and dangerous animals as to curb drug related crimes.

Waheed requested that customs increase monitoring for illegal animals and also to increase people’s awareness on the issue.

He recommended customs issue an announcement calling for the surrender all such animals that anyone has to the customs department.

Customs officials – who have already promised to tighten regulations – told police that customs needed to increase screening and that those types of animals were smuggled in to the country after careful planning.

Customs officials also told police that the department currently has established procedures where bags and luggage of cargo boats crew members can be searched.

Officials noted, however, that not being able to give adequate punishment to people involved in this type of crime was an obstacle in curbing them.

Earlier this month police discovered a royal python – a nonvenomous snake commonly kept as a pet – following a drugs raid in Himmafushi, Kaafu atoll, on March 4.

In a separate raid on March 7 police also confiscated a Kingsnake and a Mexican red-kneed tarantula from a house in Malé.

A slow loris was also discovered by police in a drugs raid in Malé in Januray 21.  The species’ decline in numbers has been closely attributed to their unsustainable trade as exotic pets.

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Three companies contracted to supply generators for 77 islands

The state utilities company Fenaka Corporation has on Monday contracted three companies to procure generators for 77 islands under the government initiative to ensure that electricity services are available in islands around the clock.

The bid was won by Chinese company Fujiya Yanan, Sri Lankan company Kelani Cables, and local company Power Engineering.

Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim – who the government has tasked with oversight of the Fenaka Corporation – told local media that the agreement is to supply the generators by the end of July, and is estimated to be completed within a period of 80 days.

He further stated that installation of generators will proceed as the units are received.

“While this project is going on, we are also conducting other additional work. Under this, we are replacing small generators in islands with bigger ones. Additionally, electrification efforts, or work to strengthen networks, is also being conducted under the oversight of Fenaka,” Nazim is quoted as saying in local media.

While Nazim did not reveal which islands have been selected to receive the generators, he stated that the islands will be chosen after a survey is done to assess needs.

“We are acquiring generators of three different sizes. So we will discuss with suppliers, and announce islands as we receive generators,” he stated.

The generators will include 40 units of 160 to 200 kilowatt power, 24 units of 250 to 200 kilowatt power, and 13 units of 500 to 1000 kilowatt power.

The Chinese company is contracted to procure the generators for Us$5.9 million, while the Sri Lankan company will supply cables at US$2.2 million, and the Maldivian company will supply distribution boxes at US$1.1 million.

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Groom arrested for being in possession of narcotics

A man who had travelled to Hoarafushi in Haa Alif atoll to get married was arrested during his visit to the atoll for being in possession of narcotics.

The man – who was under island arrest in Malé under the state’s drug rehabilitation program – had gone to the island with a special permit from court for the purposes of getting married.

Police revealed that the 27 year old man was arrested in a boat travellling from Hoarafushi to Nolhivaram in Haa Dhaal Atoll.

The man is currently in custody at the Kulhudhuffushi police station, with the island’s magistrate court having extended his detention by 15 days.

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HRCM attends Juvenile Court after summons, agrees to cooperate with enquiry

The Juvenile Court has stated today that all five members of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) have complied with the court’s order and attended a meeting at the court this morning (March 17).

The order was sent after HRCM members had failed to attend two meetings requested by the court in recent weeks.

Juvenile Court Spokesperson Zaima Nasheed stated that the court was requesting the meetings in order to question the HRCM members about a confidential report that they shared with the court concerning the sentencing of a 15 year old rape victim to flogging and house arrest.

The court maintains that, although the HRCM has included in its report that the case was one of sexual assault and harassment, the court was in fact presiding over a case concerning the crime of consensual fornication.

Alleging that the HRCM included fabricated information in the report, the Juvenile Court spokesperson stated that the members had been summoned to a meeting, and not a court hearing.

“They [HRCM members] attended Monday’s meeting as though they were coming to a court hearing, complete with being accompanied by legal representation. It was not a hearing though, just a meeting held to clarify some issues,” Zaima stated.

Zaima said that the court requires all members of the HRCM to explain to the court’s panel of judges why “fabricated information was included in the report”, as well as “the reasoning behind the need to compile such a report”.

Zaima further revealed that HRCM President Mariyam Azra had requested that the commission be allowed to submit their answers to the court’s queries in writing.

The court refused this request, however, and insisted that the members attend meetings at the court in order to verbally respond to questions put to them by an assigned panel.

According to the Juvenile Court, the HRCM had initially objected to this, quoting Article 27(a) and 27 (b) of the Human Rights Commission Act.

Article 27 (a) states that “no criminal or civil suit shall be filed against the President or Vice President or a member of the Commission in relation to committing or omitting an act in good faith whilst undertaking responsibilities of the commission or exercising the powers of the Commission or the powers conferred to the Commission by a law”.

Additionally Article 27 (b) states “the Commission can only be questioned or a suit can be filed against the Commission in court regarding a component in a report published by the Commission following an inquiry, should sufficient evidence be available to prove the component is false”.

The court responded by quoting the same article, as well as Article 141(d) of the Maldives constitution, arguing that this made it obligatory for the HRCM to oblige with the questioning.

Article 141(d) of the constitution states that “persons or bodies performing public functions, through legislative and other measures, must assist and protect the courts to ensure the independence, eminence, dignity, impartiality, accessibility and effectiveness of the courts”.

The HRCM is then said to have agreed to cooperate, on account that it is given a period of ten days after the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 22 before the first questioning session.

Zaima then said that the court has agreed to grant the HRCM the requested period of time.

“We did this with consideration towards the work of the HRCM and the nature of this matter that we are looking into,” the Juvenile Court’s Spokesperson said.

HRCM member Jeehan Mahmoud stated that the HRCM was not prepared to comment on the matter at present.

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High Court issues injunction against Family Court order to return child to mother

The High Court has released a temporary injunction halting the implementation of a Family Court order asking a man to hand over his five month old baby to its Swiss mother.

The man has been identified by the police as Ahmed Sharuvan,  age 32, from Kanmatheege in Maradhoo in Seenu atoll. The information had been released when police launched a nationwide search for the man after he failed to comply with a Family Court order last week.

The superior court released the injunction after Sharuvan submitted an appeal in the court against the Family Court’s verdict.

The High Court injunction – signed by three judges – stated that the court believes it important to halt the Family Court order until after Sharuvan’s appeal has been completed.

Although the case’s first hearing was scheduled by the High Court for Sunday, it was later cancelled.

Sharuvan’s wife – identified in local media with only a first name, Tanya – also attended Sunday’s court hearing.

Sharuvan attended Sunday’s hearing at the scheduled time and was accompanied by a lawyer. Police began questioning him outside the court premises, with Sharuvan responding by showing the police the High Court’s temporary injunction.

In spite of this, police took Sharuvan to the police headquarters for further “discussions”.

“We did not have the jurisdiction to arrest him then due to the High Court injunction although we were previously looking for him,” a police media official told Minivan News today.

“So we requested him to come along with us to headquarters for further discussions and he obliged. We did not have the jurisdiction to directly question him, so we just held a discussion. He left the police premises directly after the discussion.”

Owing to the High Court injunction, police revealed that the baby remains in the custody of the father. They stated that the police cannot take any action on the matter until Sharuvan’s appeal case at the High Court reaches completion.

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Dismissed EC Chief Thowfeek summoned to police over leaked phone calls

Former Elections Commission (EC) President Fuwad Thowfeek was summoned to police on Sunday night for questioning in an investigation regarding a leaked phone call between himself and former President Mohamed Nasheed.

In the leaked phone recordings, Fuwad and Nasheed are heard to discuss two issues – the Supreme Court case against the EC and the distribution of persons in the country’s municipal register to various constituencies.

A police media official confirmed to Minivan News that Thowfeek exercised his constitutional right to remain silent when questioned about the case.

Thowfeek was dismissed from his post by the Supreme Court earlier this month, and given a six month jail sentence, suspended for three years.

Delivering the verdict, the court contended that Thowfeek and his fellow EC members had “openly and systematically” brought the Supreme Court into disrepute, “deliberately challenged Supreme Court rulings” and “serially held [the court] in contempt” during press conferences.

The People’s Majlis subsequently declared the ruling unconstitutional, while its independent commissions oversight committee has maintained that he remains in his post despite the apex court’s verdict.

In response to the leaked recording, Thowfeek told media that he has shared concerns about the case with many politicians in addition to Nasheed, as well as having provided clarifications on the matter of the municipal register to all politicians who had requested him to do so.

Following the release of the recording on social media, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Abdulla Rifau ‘Bochey’ filed a case with the police alleging that Thowfeek had abused his powers as EC president.

The case has also been filed with the Anti Corruption Commission.

Coming out of the Police Headquarters after an hour, Thowfeek declined from commenting and was not answering calls at the time of press.

“I have nothing to say on the matter at this time,” he was reported as telling media.

EC Legal Director Haneefa Khalid accompanied Thowfeek to the police station as his legal representative.

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Quilliam states female genital mutilation has “no Islamic sanction”

A press statement by the Quilliam Foundation has contested the comments made by Dr Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef that endorsed female genital mutilation (FGM), arguing that it has “no Islamic sanction.”

The statement – released on March 14 – asserted that FGM is symbolic of the “archaic forms of religious conservatism” that threatens to undermine “fundamental human rights.”

According to their website, Quilliam is “the world’s first counter-extremism think tank set up to address the unique challenges of citizenship, identity, and belonging in a globalised world.”

The statement comes after the Vice President of the Figh Academy, Dr Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef has endorsed female genital mutilation in response to a question posed by a reader on mvislamqa.com. Latheef argued that several credible hadiths from the Prophet Mohamed demonstrated female circumcision is obligatory in Islam, and stated that circumcision “applies to both men and women.”

Quilliam’s Senior Researcher in Islamic Studies, Dr Usama Hasan, said: “FGM has no Islamic sanction – there are just two traditions on the subject, both of which are strongly disputed, with many jurists throughout history discounting them as having nothing to do with the Prophet of Islam, but, like the blasphemy and apostasy laws of medieval Islam, FGM became a theoretical juristic position even though it was rarely practiced. Contemporary Muslim scholars are increasingly opposed to and dismissive of FGM”.

There have been recent uncorroborated reports of the rise of FGM in the Maldives, however, Minivan News has been unable to verify the extent to which the practise has grown in recent years.

Thilmeeza Hussain from the local NGO Voice of Women commented that they were “extremely concerned” by the comments made by Iyaz, but they did not have any data on the extent to which FGM is practised in the Maldives.

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High Court supports lower court decision to continue Alhan’s lawsuit against MDP

The High Court has today ruled that the Civil Court does have the jurisdiction to preside over a lawsuit filed by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Alhan Fahmy against his party.

Feydhoo MP Alhan is seeking the annulment of the opposition party’s primary for the Feydhoo constituency in Addu City.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Alhan said there were two cases related to the lawsuit filed at the Civil Court being reviewed in the High Court, and that the court had today concluded one case while he had withdrawn the other.

The case concluded today was the appeal by the MDP claiming that the Civil Court could not proceed because Alhan had not completed all the internal party procedures, such as appealing at the party’s appeal committee.

”During the hearings held in the Civil Court, I requested the court to issue a warrant to temporarily invalidate the candidacy of the person who won the MDP primary and the court said that it did not have the jurisdiction to do so and that the High Court will have the jurisdiction to issue such an injunction,’’ Alhan said.

“So I filed a case with the High Court on March 6 and 11 days later the court held a hearing and I told the court that now it was too late to issue the injunction and that I wished to withdraw the case.’’

Alhan said that the case going on in the Civil Court has almost reached an end and that during the next hearing the court would deliver a verdict.

Shortly after announcing his decision to contest the primary result, Alhan was stabbed in Malé while at the Breakwater cafe in the artificial beach area. During the attack, Alhan received stab wounds to the back and was quickly flown to Sri Lanka for spinal surgery.

When Minivan News inquired about his condition he said that his left leg was still paralysed and that he now has to use a walking stick.

“Doctors say it will take six or seven months to recover, I have been doing physiotherapy,’’ he said.

Alhan has had a chequered recent past with the MDP, rejoining the party in June last year after an apparently acrimonious departure in April of the previous year.

Then party vice president, Alhan was ejected – alongside then party President Dr Ibrahim Didi – after the pair publicly questioned the party’s official interpretation of the February 7 ousting of President Mohamed Nasheed.

The Feydhoo MP subsequently organised a rally – sparsely attended – calling for the freeing of the MDP from its talismanic leader Nasheed. Alhan’s soon joined the government-aligned Jumhooree Party,

Alhan was initially elected to parliament on a Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) ticket, making him one of the few MPs to have been a member of almost every major political party represented in parliament, barring the DRP’s splinter party, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM).

He was dismissed from the DRP in 2010 for breaking the party’s whip line in a no-confidence vote against then Foreign Minister, Dr Ahmed Shaheed

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Man injured in STO oil tanker fire dies

Local media has reported that the man injured in an STO oil tanker fire incident has died, after receiving treatment in an Indian hospital.

Adam Gasim, 61 of Kulhudhufushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll is reported to have passed away on Friday (March 14).

Newspaper Sun Online quoted STO Managing Director Adam Azim as saying that the man was admitted to one of the best hospitals in India to treat his injuries, with the STO covering all the costs of his treatment.

Sun had reported that the fire incident occurred while Adam Gasim was welding on the deck of the oil tanker.

MD Azim was reported at the time of the accident as describing the incident as “not very dangerous”.

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