maldives – Page 217 – Minivan News

Police completed investigations of sixty four cases last week

Maldives Police Service has said within last week they have completed investigation of 64 cases and asked the Prosecutor General to file charges against 109 people.

Among the cases forwarded to Prosecutor General’s Office were 25 cases related to narcotics, 13 related to theft, 10 assault cases and 9 cases of illicit sexual activity.

In addition, cases concerning bounced cheques, concerning mental and sexual abuse of children , disobeying police orders – two cases of each – were sent.

The police said that the organization is expediting investigations to finish at least eighty percent of cases submitted before 2013 within the first hundred days of President Abdullah Yameen’s government.

Likes

(2)Dislikes

(0)

President to discuss visa issues, business prospects with India

President Abdulla Yameen has said he will be seeking solutions to the difficulties Maldivians face in getting travel visas to India, and obtaining construction materials during his official visit to the country.

Yameen, however, claimed that the government does not intend to re-establish the contract with the Indian Company GMR to develop the country’s only international airport.

“One of the biggest obstacles faced by Maldivians travelling to India, especially those travelling for medical purposes, as well as students, is the difficulty in getting visa approval. That is something I will discuss during this trip,” Yameen told the press prior to his departure.

“The Foreign Ministry and the Immigration Department has already conducted a lot of work on this manner and we have hopes that there will soon be a solution to this,” said the president.

Yameen will be accompanied by the first lady on the official trip, taken after an invitation from Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee.

“In the context of businesses and general conditions, these are days when the country is facing trouble in getting construction material like building rocks and rock boulders. We have even previously talked about this,” he continued.

Yameen stated that, in addition to his own discussions, the government delegation travelling with him will also be conducting deliberations with their Indian counterparts, adding that he hoped the discussions would pave way for prospects beneficial to the Maldivian people.

He revealed that the main focus of the trip will explore ways in which India can assist in dealing with the difficulties currently faced by the Maldivian business and health sectors.

“Among the agreements, prospects for the health sector is included. Otherwise, we are generally going towards some agreements to seek assistance for the business sector. I believe that through discussions, there are numerous ways in which we can move forward together,” he stated.

“Similar to the Maldives, India too needs some time to make arrangements. Since our requests are large scale, it will take time for them to get approval from their parliament. However, the Indian government’s responses to us are very positive,” Yameen said.

Besides the Indian government, the Maldivian delegation will also be meeting key members of India’s business sector, Yameen said.

Also taking part in these meetings will be the leaders of ruling coalition parties, Gasim Ibrahim -Jumhooree Party – and Ahmed Siyam – Maldives Development Alliance. The two also chair the business groups Villa Enterprises and Sun Travels, respectively.

This is the president’s first official trip abroad since assuming office in November 2013.

Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon, President’s Office Minister Mohamed Hussain Shareef, Health Minister Mariyam Shakeela, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb, State Minister for Youth and Sports Gassan Maumoon and Foreign Secretary Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed will also be accompanying Yameen.

“No intention to bring back GMR”

Yameen said that the GMR issue is currently in the arbitration stage and has dismissed claims that the government may renew the airport development contract with the company.

“This government does not intend to give the whole airport back to GMR. I do not anticipate that the Indian government will discuss the GMR issue with us, it has not done so before. The GMR issue is not one which concerns the government of India,” Yameen stated.

“The matter is between two companies, albeit the companies being ones important to both governments. Why the airport is important to us is because it is one of the major earning sources for us, and because the company is a 100 percent state owned enterprise. In the same manner, GMR might be important to the current government in power in India,” he explained.

Yameen said representatives from GMR may be present in meetings with the business sector, but denied that the government would be meeting specifically with the company to discuss the airport issue.

“GMR representatives have not even requested to meet them separately. Thus, the GMR matter is not a notable focus in this trip of mine,” he said.

Yameen said that instead of renewing the GMR contract, the government is currently focusing on how the state can pay the compensation fee to the company, and that the matter was being dealt with in the official arbitration.

GMR Chair G M Rao told Indian media last month that he expected the US$1.4 billion wrongful termination claim to be resolved by May.

However, India’s Economic Times has reported that “the Manmohan Singh government will seek the creation of a climate conducive to Indian investment in the Maldives when president Abdulla Yameen arrives in Delhi on January 1 on his maiden visit abroad after being elected head of state.”

“This includes the resolution of disputes relating to GMR’s airport project and the allocation of a site for a Tata housing project,” continued the paper.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(1)

Allegations of links to criminals dismissed as police celebrate SO Unit achievements

Commissioner of Police (CP) Hussain Waheed has dismissed as “absolutely baseless” allegations made by parliamentarians that the police had connections with criminals and the drug trade.

“The police force is not one that will encourage criminals or have ties with criminals who commit serious offences,” Waheed said at a new year celebration titled ‘SO Night’, held in Iskandhar Koshi on December 31 specifically for officers of the police’s Special Operations unit force.

He stated that, while the services of the police are widely accepted and appreciated by citizens, there have been recent instances where “some individuals have spread baseless rumours with the intention of damaging public trust in the forces”.

The event was held in order to celebrate the achievements of the force over the previous 12 months.

Waheed stated that he will not allow any persons to attempt to create rifts in the “strong and united force nor to damage the public trust in the tough work police conduct to maintain peace and stability in the community”.

Waheed stated that no one better knows the feelings of the public than the police, and that what the public most desire is a calm and peaceful community.

He called on the police to continue serving the people by working with a resolve to maintain a peaceful environment in the country.

Waheed promised the police forces that the leadership will develop infrastructure and human resource support within the year 2014.

Illicit drug trade and abuse

Assuring the public that police will continue to bring those involved in illicit drug trade and abuse to justice through courts of law, Waheed responded to allegations by some parliamentarians that the police were complicit in the drugs trade.

“The illicit drugs that we discover are safely under our care. Relevant authorities will know very well that such contraband are kept safely by us until the time comes to dispose of them as per the legal structure. There is also a mechanism through which one can inquire about the status of such contraband,” Waheed said.

“I am deeply saddened that even with such strong regulations around the matter, some people irresponsibly spread falsified rumours about the police force in a manner that will undermine the trust the public holds in us. There are also independent institutions that can conduct investigations should there be any police officer who is suspected of being involved in anything of the sort,” he expressed.

Allegations from parliamentarians

On December 29, 2013 Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ibrahim Rasheed submitted an emergency motion to the parliament in regard to a stabbing incident which had occurred in the previous week.

Speaking in the parliamentary debate on the motion, members from the MDP and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) accused the police of having ties with criminals, gangs, and drug dealers.

Among them, MDP MP Nazim described the police force as a “gang instead of an institution these days”, alleging that the force had dismissed sincere officers and replaced them with people who are accused of having committed serious offences.

CP Waheed, however, last night emphasized that the Special Operations Unit is the “most respected force within the police which all departments look up to”, speaking at last night’s event.

Special Operations Unit

“SO Night” is an annual event held to celebrate various achievements of the Special Operations Unit.

The event concluded with a presentation by the SO department of their achievements in the previous year.

This includes having provided technical support 219 times to various other police departments, controlling 57 public protests, and conducting 55 special operations and 23 trips to manage situations in the atolls.

The presentation also noted that in all their annual work, the SO had only made use of pepper-spray as a weapon, noting that it had been used a total of 55 times.

Among other statistics shared at the event, the SO unit stated that “in all of the year, 40 SO officers were summoned to the Police Integrity Commission and 2 SO officers were summoned to the Human Rights Commission. In handling the various situations, 50 SO officers suffered injuries of different levels”.

SO Department Head Chief Inspector Ahmed Shameem stated that the unit had not resorted to the use of rubber bullets or tear gas in controlling any of the situations that arose in 2013.

He stated that the unit had refrained from using these weapons, not because they did not have them, but because of their professionalism and their capability to deal with the situations in other ways.

Celebrating the work of SO officers who had contributed notably to the department’s work, certificates of appreciation were given to officers who were a part of a number of operations, among which a key activity is Operation Blue Wave – the security operation conducted during the 2013 presidential election.

Likes

(1)Dislikes

(0)

Case against man who assaulted wife and child of MP submitted to PG

The case against the Mohamed Najah, who attacked his sister and wife of MP Hussain Waheed and their 3 year old daughter with a knife, has been sent to the Prosecutor General’s office.

The 30 year old man assaulted the woman and child, beating them and stabbing the woman in the head and the child in the neck on November 5, 2013.

Najah has a previous record with multiple charges for drug abuse and assault.

Likes

(1)Dislikes

(0)

President’s Office announces six more political appointments

President Abdulla Yameen has appointed two deputy ministers, a registrar of companies, a deputy ambassador, a state minister, and a CEO of a state enterprise this week.

Abdulla Ziyad has been appointed deputy minister of housing and infrastructure, and Ibrahim Nizam has been appointed deputy minister of environment and energy.

Mohamed Iyaz – a practicing lawyer – has been appointed as the registrar of companies, a post which is hierarchically equivalent to that of a deputy minister.

Usama Mohamed Rasheed has been appointed the deputy ambassador of the Maldives in Saudi Arabia, whilst Ahmed Zubair has been appointed minister of state for transport and communication.

Thoriq Ali Lutfi, who was serving as minister of state for health and gender, has been appointed to the post of chief executive officer of the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA).

Likes

(1)Dislikes

(0)

DPRS replaced with Maldives Correctional Service

President Abdulla Yameen has established the Maldives Correctional Service on December 31, 2013, which replaces the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services.

The President’s Office announced that, together with the establishment of the Correctional Service under the Maldives Prisons and Parole Act, the DPRS’s Second Chance Programme will also be discontinued effective from Tuesday.

Likes

(1)Dislikes

(0)

MMA Governer resigns before calling on state to minimise expenses

Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) Governer Dr Fazeel Najeeb has called on the state to minimise expenses in a press conference held to announce his resignation on Tuesday.

Najeeb said that the biggest challenge faced by the country’s economy is the structure, which is inappropriate for a nation of this level. He elaborated on his comments, saying that the state often had to resort to printing additional money to meet the “far too hefty expenses of many state institutions”.

“A central bank must not resort to printing and releasing money, especially at a time when the economy is as weakened as it is now. Even more importantly, at a time when obtaining foreign currency is this tight,” he stated.

Najeeb advised that the best option to tackle the difficulty in obtaining foreign currency – due to the increasing amount of Maldivian currency being printed – is for the central bank to halt reprinting more Maldivian rufiya. He explained that increasing the amount of Maldivian currency being printed at a rate faster than it is possible to obtain foreign currency is one of the biggest threats to the economy.

He further called upon the parliament to expedite the passing of bills to facilitate increased state earnings and to improve the structure of the state.

He also appealed to the state to tighten fiscal policy so as to reap the best possible results from the established monetary policy framework.

Achievements during five years as governor

Announcing his resignation, Najeeb stated that he held no regrets regarding any decisions he had made while serving as governor, and that he was leaving the post in good conscience.

He confirmed that his decision to resign had not been due to any political pressure and that it had been purely a personal decision based on his familial situation.

Najeeb detailed what he described as his main achievements during the five years he served as head of the MMA, as well as other notable work he was leaving incomplete as he leaves his position.

Among the achievements mentioned, Najeeb noted the introduction of a banking law, a regulation under which banks and the financial sector can be regulated, and guidelines under which the insurance sector can be regulated.

He also added that he had been able to establish major developments on an operational level on an anti-money laundering structure with the involvement of many institutions.

He further highlighted other major prospects on which work had begun, but that had not yet reached completion. This included the establishment of an anti-money laundering act, an insurance act, and a mortgage act. He also spoke of having begun work on renewing the MMA Act and in bringing amendments to the banking law.

He revealed that he had sent drafts of many of the pending bills to the relevant authorities for amendments, tabling, and ratification.

Najeeb stated that he would not be seen in the political arena, adding that any work he conducted for the state in future will be on a purely voluntary basis.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

MDP reveals candidates competing in Male’ area primaries

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has announced the names of candidates competing in its parliamentary primaries for thirteen Male’ City constituencies.

The party also announced that three candidates won the ticket without a primary because they were the only candidates contesting in primaries for those seats.

The three candidates in question were Medhuhenveiru MP Ali Azim, Galolhu Uthuru MP Eva Abdulla, and Maafannu Uthuru MP Imthiyaz Fahmy, who contested for the constituencies they currently represent.

Among other sitting MP s who are contesting in the primaries are Hulhuhenveri MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, Medhuhenveriru MP Ali Azim, Henverirudhekunu MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, and Machangolhi Uthuru MP Mariya Ahmed Didi competing for the seats they currently hold.

Majlis Chair and Keyodhoo MP Abdulla Shahid will compete for the newly introduced Henveiru Uthuru constiuency ticket and Maafannu Dhekunu MP Ibrahim Rasheed ‘Bonda’ for the newly introduced Maafannu Medhu constituency (formerly Villi Maafannu).

Candidates competing in the primaries for all constituencies other than the thirteen Male’ City areas were announced last month.

The only sitting MDP MP s who are not competing in the primaries are Maafannu Hulhangu MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem, Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed, Komandoo MP Hussein Waheed and Gaddhoo MP Zahir Adam.

In addition to sitting MPs, former members of the Majlis and the Constitutional Assembly, senior members in the MDP government, prominent party activists, and other famous national personalities will be competing in the MDP primaries scheduled to be held on 24 January.

The parliamentary elections are to be held on March 22 to elect the 85 members of the 18th Peoples Majlis for a five year term.
The complete list of candidates competing in the MDP primaries for Male’ area constituencies can be seen here.

Likes

(1)Dislikes

(0)