Tag: maldives

President Waheed receives grand welcome on return to Malé

President Abdulla Yameen has received former President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan upon his return to Malé last night amidst great fanfare.

Waheed and his wife Ilham Hussein were greeted at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport by Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and several ministers including Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim and Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb.

Speaking to the press on his arrival, Waheed said he now wished to work “for the benefit of the community.”

Yameen , Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, MPs, senior government officials and dozens of supporters welcomed Dr Waheed on his return to the capital. Speaking to the media, Yameen pledged “the highest honors and respect” to his predecessor.

When asked if Waheed will be given a government position, Yameen declined to comment, stating “this is a matter between us”.

An official motorcade escorted Waheed and Ilham to their residence.

Waheed had departed the Maldives on a private visit on November 14, days after declaring he would remain in power beyond the end of the presidential term on November 11. In a televised speech, Waheed pledged to resign on the day of the presidential run-off, scheduled for November 16.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury approved MVR 525,000 (US$34,047) for Waheed’s month long trip.

He had contested in the annulled first round held on September 7,winning just 5.13 percent of the vote. Waheed subsequently decided to back Yameen in the following rounds.

Speaking to local media before his departure, Waheed said his return depended on the political environment in the Maldives. When Yameen won the presidential election on November 16, Waheed quickly announced that he would be returning to the Maldives.

Waheed assumed the presidency after the controversial resignation of his predecessor, Mohamed Nasheed, on February 7, 2012. Nasheed has accused his deputy Waheed of engineering a coup d’état to unseat the Maldives’ first democratically elected government.

Yameen’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) played a key role in supporting and maintaining Waheed’s rule amidst two years of political turmoil.

The PPM will seek to amend the Former Presidents’ Privileges Act in order to ensure Waheed receives privileges and immunities, Yameen said. At present, the act states that a president must hold power for 30 months in order to qualify for privileges. Waheed had held the post for 21 months.

In his farewell address on November 15, Waheed defended his track record, claiming he had maintained peace and stability despite assuming the presidency at a time of “anger, unrest and economic ruin.”

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IOM conducts human trafficking workshop for police and immigration officials

International Organization for Migration has commenced a Human Trafficking training workshop for Police and Immigration officials.

The four-day workshop participants will be informed on internatinal best practice on conducting investigations and dealing with victim of human trafficking. The workshop will cover both labor and sex trafficking.

Assistant Controller of Immigration Ali Ashraf informed Minivan News last week that the training would help prepare immigration officials for the recently ratified anti-trafficking bill.

Those found guilty of human trafficking can now face up to 10 years for cases involving adults, which can be extended to up to 15 if children are involved. Accomplices to trafficking can also now receive a seven year sentence.

“Implementation of the bill will require a lot of effort and coordination,” said Ashraf.

The Maldives’ has remained on the US State Department’s Tier 2 watchlist for four years, being warned this year that only significant improvements in this area could save it from relegation to Tier 3 and potential sanctions.

A government-ordered report in 2011 revealed human trafficking to be the Maldives second most lucrative industry after tourism – worth an estimated US$123million a year.

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Maldivian student killed in Afghan blast

A Maldivian student, Amir Moosa, 31 from G.A Dhaandhoo was recently killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan, the Island council has said today.

President of the Council Shuaib Abdulla said a family member of the deceased had reported his death in an Afghanistan bomb blast, although the incident is yet to be officially reported to the Council by his immediate family.

Shuaib said Amir has been studying in Pakistan for the past six years and many locals believe he was involved with Jihadi operations there. “According to a family members, when he calls home he would talk about Jihad and Independence of Palestine” Shuaib said.

The deceased’s sister told Sun Online that Amir had been killed two months ago, though the family themselves only received the news yesterday (December 14). She also denied that Amir held any extremist views.

However, local news website CNM quoted Amir’s mother as saying that he was living in Pakistan with his wife and four children (who are still in Pakistan) for higher education.

Amir’s family confirmed to CNM that he was visiting Afghanistan when the blast killed him. Maldives Police Service have not yet received any such reports.

Foreign Ministry officials were not available for comment at the time of press.

Maldives has been hit by a wave of religious extremism in the past few years. In September 2007 a home made IED was set off at popular tourist attraction in capital Male’, injuring 12 tourists.

Common threats against voices critical of radical Islamism were actualized with a brutal attempt on a journalist’s life in 2012. Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed came just millimetres from death when assailants he would later allege to be Islamists slashed his throat just yards from his home.

This incident happened just a few months after a mob of religious extremists destroyed priceless Buddhist statues in the National Museum.

In early 2010, then-Vice President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik expressed concern about young Maldivians being recruited by militant groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan to wage ‘jihad’, a claim reiterated by top level officials including former President Mohamed Nasheed.

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Repeated delays in trial of second Afrasheem murder suspect

At the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), the Criminal Court has delayed the trial of Ali Shan, the second suspect charged with the murder of MP Dr Afrasheem Ali.

The last hearing was held in May this year. The Criminal Court had given Shan the opportunity to appoint a lawyer. Shan has pleaded innocent.

Progressive Party of Maldives MP Dr Afrasheem Ali was stabbed to death on the night of October 1, 2012, on the staircase of his home.

A PGO official said the office was waiting for a verdict in the case against the chief suspect in the murder Hussain Humam before proceeding with the case against Shan.

The Criminal Court has concluded hearings into Human’s trial.

Police have forwarded cases of four additional individuals to the PGO for their alleged involvement in Afrasheem’s murder – taking the total number of suspects facing charges over the attack to seven.

Azleef Rauf, Shaahin Mohamed, Adam Salaah, a minor named ‘Nangi’ and Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid – son-in-law of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party Chair ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – stand accused of aiding and abetting the murder,

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Total of 892 MDP candidates to compete in local council elections

Speaking to media today, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik said the forms for all 892 candidates that won MDP tickets for the upcoming local council elections scheduled for  January 18, 2014 have been handed over to the Elections Commission.

Moosa said in constituencies without an MDP candidate, the party will endorse independent candidates. He said the details of this will be revealed soon.

Meanwhile the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has previously announced it will be contesting a total of 627 seats in this election.

The PPM and the ruling “Unity Coalition” members will work jointly in these elections to gain maximum seats. The Jumhooree Party, the second biggest in the coalition, will be contesting for more than 340 seats.

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President forms anti-trafficking steering committee

President Abdulla Yameen has formed an “Anti-Trafficking Steering Committee” as required by the new Anti Human Trafficking Act.

The members of the committee are;

1. Abdulla Saeed, Supreme Court Judge
2. Jeehan Mahmood, Member of Human Rights Commission
3. Mariyam Zoona, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Youth and Sports
4. Aisha Naeem, State Attorney at the Attorney General’s Office
5. Mahmood Saleem, Assistant Public Prosecutor Grade 3 at the Prosecutor General’s Office
6. Mohamed Shifan, Deputy Chief Immigration Officer at the Department of Immigration and Emigration
7. Khadeeja Najeeha, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
8. Hassan Habeeb, Assistant Commissioner of Police
9. Mohamed Maseeh, Chief Superintendent at the Maldives Customs Service
10. Aishath Nafaa Ahmed, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Youth and Sports
11. Sheikh Hussain Rasheed Yoosuf, Inspector General of Correction Service at the Ministry of Home Affairs
12. Ali Waheed, Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs
13. Muruthallah Moosa from the Advocating the Rights of Children (a local NGO)

A member from the People’s Majlis will also sit in this committee. As per article 62 of the Act, this committee will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Act, and advising the president on matters related to it’s implementation, and coordinating programs related to countering human trafficking.

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Presidential residence expenditure to increase next year

Despite President Abdulla Yameen’s decision to live in his own residence, the allocated budget for the official presidential residence “Muleeaage’” will be MVR 19.1 million next year, a MVR2 million increase from this year.

The chair of Parliament’s Budget Review Committee Gasim Ibrahim expressed the need to have the required budget allocation in case President Yameen decides to move to a state funded residence, CNM reports.

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Audit of Waste Management Company uncovers embezzlement, “wasteful” expenditure

An audit of the government owned Waste Management Company has uncovered severe mismanagement and embezzlement.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed had established the company by presidential decree on 15 December 2008 with assets worth MVR 1.5 billion (US$ 97 million).

However, “Since its inception, the company has done nothing to achieve its aims,” Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim has said in a new report.

The company’s sole expenditure in the period 2009- 2011 was on wages, the report notes, adding “state expenditure on the Waste Management Corporation Ltd did not bring any benefit and was completely wasteful.”

With the election of island and atoll councils, the Finance Ministry had recommended the company be dissolved in 2011 as the Local Government Act charged local government with waste management. However, the President’s Office advised against the dissolution, the report said.

In 2010, a European Union and World Bank funded “South Ari-Atoll Regional Waste Management” Project to establish a waste management systems in Alif Dhaal Atoll Bodukaashihuraa was transferred from the Ministry of Housing and Environment to the Waste Management Company on President Nasheed’s orders.

But to this day, the Waste Management Company has not done any work on the project, the report found.

Further, an unnamed board member had embezzled MVR610,000 (US$ 39,354) by doctoring cheques, the report said. The board member was the sole employee in charge of the company’s finances.

The Auditor General’s Office was unable to carry out a full financial audit because the company had failed to submit its annual financial report, the report said.

Moreover, the company had failed to keep proper documentation of its expenditure and revenue or minutes of its board meetings or an asset register.

Expenditure on travel abroad was not documented, while employees were not registered with the pensions scheme as mandated by the Pensions Act, the report said.

Niyaz has recommended criminal charges be filed against all parties who participated in, were accomplice to,and/or were negligent in the embezzlement and wastage of state funds.

He has further called on the government to decide on the company’s future as soon as possible.

Governance NGO Transparency Maldives released a report last week revealed that 83 percent of people surveyed felt corruption had increased or stayed the same during the past two years.

Speaking at the event to launch the Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) report, President of the Anti-Corruption Commission Hussain Luthfy urged more transparency within government companies in order to foster an atmosphere in which corruption can be addressed proactively.

He suggested that government owned companies often pass resolutions to obstruct the ACC’s investigations.

Transparency Maldives, the local chapter of Transparency International (TI) describes the GCB as one of the tools it uses to better understand corruption.

The group’s most widely used indicator – the Corruption Perceptions Index  – was released last week. For the second consecutive year the Maldives was not ranked after TI was unable to gather the necessary data.

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MNDF gifted helicopter as ties with India continue to grow

The Government of India has gifted the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) an advanced light helicopter, with local media media declaring a “new chapter” in Indo-Maldivian defence ties.

The Hindu reported Nazim as stating that the gift was “paving the way for further strengthening of ties between both countries.”

The helicopter was officially handed over by Indian Southern Naval Command officer Vice Admiral Satish Soni to the MNDF’s Brigadier General Ali Zuhair – the second such award after a similar gift in 2010.

The Maldives’ Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim – currently on an official visit to the Maldives northern neighbour – officially unveiled the colours of the aircraft. The helicopter will reportedly be manned by an Indian flight crew for search and rescue operations, and surveillance within the Maldives EEZ.

The Times of India reported Satish as praising the Maldives contribution to security in the Indian Ocean region, citing the MNDF’s frequent assistance in anti-piracy operations.

Nazim’s trip precedes that of newly elected President Abdulla Yameen, who is scheduled to visit India on his first official state visit on December 22.

Yameen’s attempts to enhance bilateral ties after a fraught period in the pair’s diplomatic history were recently lauded by former President – Yameen’s half-brother and party leader – Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Indian media has suggested that Yameen’s visit will see the re-opening of a standby credit facility which had seemingly been frozen during the relationship’s nadir in 2012.

The most recent installment of India’s pledged budget support stalled just stays before a concerted – and often xenophobic – campaign against the development of Malé’s international airport culminated in the eviction of Indian company GMR.

The following month, the Indian High Commission in Malé publicly aired a list of consular grievances including persistent discrimination against Indian expatriate workers, a failure to reciprocate generous visa processes for Indians in the the Maldives, and threats made against diplomatic personnel.

Largesse from other regional powers has also come in the form of Chinese development aid, with 50 million yuan (US$ 8.2 million) promised for development projects within weeks of Yameen’s November 16 election victory.

The MNDF’s official website has reported that the award of the helicopter was part of its roadmap for the first 100 days of the Yameen administration. Other aims include the establishment of a justice system within the – recently fratricidal – organisation, and the conducting of international training with its Indian counterparts.

Meeting with Indian Defence Minister A.K. Anthony last week, Nazim discussed increasing cooperation between the armed forces of both countries and  advancing medical facilities and expertise in the MNDF through training medical specialists.

Anthony announced that all MNDF personnel will now be eligible for treatment in Armed Forces medical institutions in India for major surgeries and for treatment of major and serious illnesses.

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