Tag: maldives

Anti Corruption watchdog suspends government’s flagship loan scheme

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) today suspended President Abdulla Yameen’s flagship loan scheme, Get Set, after receiving a complaint alleging corruption.

The ACC declined to reveal additional details.

Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed Maleeh Jamal insisted the youth entrepreneurial loan scheme was transparent and pledged to cooperate with the investigation.

“We do not have anything to hide. It is being carried out much more transparently than that. We have given all the information ACC wants, including copies of files of the mark sheets,” Maleeh told local media.

Get set program was originally launched by president Yameen’s government to help young businessmen with establishing and starting up of their businesses.

The Get Set Program offers loans between MVR 300,000 ($19,506) to MVR 800,000 ($52015.61), to Maldivian entrepreneurs between 18-35 years of age. The deadline for submission was February 28.

The Ministry of Youth previously reported it had received 570 applications and had shortlisted 107. These will be sent to the Get Set programme board, who will determine the final recipients.

“The forms have not been forwarded to the Get Set board yet. They are still with a preliminary technical committee. The members of the committee are very knowledgeable and carrying out their task very well and very transparently. The committee also includes an observer from the UNDP. We the guarantee you there is no space for corruption,” Maleeh said.

The ACC has said it will complete the investigation as soon as possible.

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Sheikh Mohamed Didi resigns from Ministry of Islamic Affairs

State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Didi resigned from the government on Saturday.

Didi, a member of religious Adhaalath Party’s (AP) consultative council, said he resigned to respect the party’s March 17 decision to withdraw support for President Abdulla Yameen’s administration.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Didi said the religious conservative party had unconditionally backed Yameen during the 2013 presidential polls with immense hope, but the president had only shown “brutality” towards citizens.

Didi accused the government of jailing opposition politicians, claiming the illegal weapons charge against former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim was fabricated. He said his attempts at resolving issues within the government were unsuccessful, and said he would now join the opposition’s activities.

The Adhaalath Party has allied with its former rival, opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), under the banner “Alliance Against Brutality” and called on President Yameen to free imprisoned former President Mohamed Nasheed and former Defence Minister Nazim.

AP member and Deputy Minister for Law and Gender Shidhatha Shareef also resigned from the government on March 22.

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Nazim unfairly sentenced after an investigation and trial “rigged with irregularities,” says MDP

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has condemned in the “strongest terms” the sentencing of former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim to 11 years in jail.

The Criminal Court on March 26 found Nazim guilty of smuggling weapons. Denying the accusation, Nazim had said the weapons were planted at his home by rogue officers on the orders of Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb.

Both the police and the Tourism Minister have dismissed Nazim’s claims as baseless and untrue.

The MDP said Nazim was sentenced in an investigation and a trial “rigged with irregularities.”

“Despite the state not being able to disprove the contradictions in testimony given by state witnesses and the irregularities in the Police investigation raised by the defence, the court sentenced Col. (Rtd) Nazim to 11 years in jail,” the party said in a statement today.

The MDP noted the Criminal Court did allow Nazim’s legal team to call the majority of defence witnesses on the claim they would “not negate” the prosecution’s evidence.

The opposition party also said the court had refused to address the “blatant irregularities” evident in the Maldives Police Service’s investigation of the case, ranging from the initial warrant to search the former Defence Minister’s residence, to the chain of custody process in relation to the weapons that were supposedly found in his apartment.

The statement also noted the “unlawful” trial was presided over by the same three judges who sentenced former President Mohamed Nasheed to 13 years in jail on terrorism charges on March 13.

“The sentences against President Mohamed Nasheed and Col. (Rtd) Nazim, arrests of over 120 people, including MPs and media, and the sending of 90 cases for prosecution against people detained from peaceful protests highlight the politicisation of the entire criminal justice system,” the MDP said.

‘There is no separation between the Government and the Judiciary in the pursuit of their political objectives. Their attempts to eliminate their political opponents through politically motivated charges and sham trials do not contain even a veneer of due process,” said MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor.

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#NameThatPolice: Police photo warning sparks social media outcry

The Maldives Police Services on Friday warned social media users against harassing and posting photos of individual officers online, prompting a social media outcry with dozens of Twitter users posting pictures of police brutality with the hashtag #NameThatPolice.

“Publicizing photos of individual police officers, with warnings, on social media is unacceptable,” the police said, claiming the act was aimed at intimidating police officers and inciting hatred towards the police force.

Appealing to social media users to be more responsible, the police warned of penalties against continued harassment.

The warning came after opposition supporters started circulating photos of individual police officers accusing them of criminality, brutality and bribery. The police statement, however, appears to have escalated matters.

 

Many photos posted by Twitter users were from the brutal police crackdown in the aftermath of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s ouster on February 7, 2012. A Commonwealth backed national inquiry had recommended penalizing officers for brutality, but the opposition says the government had instead promoted officers accused of brutalizing protesters.

Mohamed Shaheed asked, “Are we not allowed to talk about this?”

Speaking to Minivan News, he said the public must publish photos of police brutality, “otherwise it will not stop.”
“This is not aimed at all police officers, just the ones who break the law,” he added.

Some tweets included comical photos of police carrying protesters to police vehicles.

“I think the warning by police is downright ridiculous. Nobody should tell us to stop speaking out against brutality. We will not remain silent when crimes are committed, be it police or any other state institution,” Twitter user Ibrahim Huzam told Minivan News.

“In addition to the lack of discipline and professionalism, police act very hostile towards the public, this is very wrong,” he added.

Tensions are high in Malé with the opposition protesting daily over the imprisonment of former President Mohamed Nasheed and former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim. Protests have now entered a seventh consecutive week.

Confrontations between police and protesters have increased recently, and hundreds including MPs and journalists have been arrested.

Chief Superintendent of Police Abdulla Nawaz on March 26 said inidivdual police officers have been confronted and intimidated at their homes, adding that efforts were underway to “psychologically weaken” police personnel

Nawaz also accused certain media outlets of attempting to falsely portray police as brutal towards civilians and said the media cut off live feed when protesters attacked police officers. He warned the police would arrest media personnel if they obstruct police duty.

Former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim has meanwhile accused the police’s Specialist Operations (SO) officers of framing him by planting illegal weapons at his home and committing criminal activities including the chopping down of Malé City’s Areca Palms in October last year.

The police have denied the accusations as baseless and untrue.

Nazim was sentenced to 11 years in jail on Thursday (March 26).

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ARC children’s storybook shortlisted in Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

A storybook for children by a Maldivian child rights advocacy group has been shortlisted in the 2015 European Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

The Sneaky Snare of the Syrupy Slurp Slops was shortlisted in the category for Best in the World for Children’s Books.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards celebrates and awards books about food and/or drinks and features a number of books by world-renowned chefs, publishers and authors every year.

The Sneaky Snare of the Syrupy Slurp Slops, released in 2014, is an educational children’s book based on the message of “Re-think Your Drink,” encouraging children to drink water and plain milk, whilst making them aware of the dangers of consuming energy drinks, soda and other sugary drinks.

It is the second book in ARC’s Health Eating and Active Lifestyles (HEAL) campaign.

President of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Edouard Cointreau said: “It is quite an achievement to be on the shortlist. It is extremely difficult. The quantity and quality of entries from the 205 participating countries have reached a new high this year. All the books shortlisted are truly excellent, in very different ways”.

The 6 shortlisted books include books from USA, Spain, Canada, Sweden and the UAE. The awards are to be announced on June 9.

ARC’s first storybook, The Colourful Companionship of Casey Cabbage, won two awards in Gourmand Awards in 2013, namely Best Children’s Book in Maldives and Best Charity and Fundraising Book in Asia. It was also nominated for the Best in the World category.

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Don’t switch off lights for Earth Hour, says Home Ministry

The Ministry of Home Affairs today ordered residents of Malé City to keep their lights on during Earth Hour.

Expressing concern over a recent spike in violence in Malé, Home Ministry Spokesperson Thazmeel Abdul Samad said: “Switching off lights for this year’s Earth Hour is prohibited for the safety and security of Malé’s residents.”

Earth Hour, organized globally by the World Wide Fund for Nature, calls on citizens of the world to switch off their lights for one hour between 8:30 and 9:30 pm on the last Saturday in March as a symbol of commitment to the planet.

The Home Ministry also shut down a music show organized by the Scouts Association tonight, but said roads will be closed to traffic between 8 and 10 pm to celebrate Earth Hour.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has meanwhile called for a march in Malé during Earth Hour in support of imprisoned former President Mohamed Nasheed, globally known for his advocacy against climate change.

Political tensions have been high in Malé following Nasheed’s and former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim’s imprisonment. Many have speculated the Home Ministry shut down the Earth Hour event due to Nasheed’s popularity within the environmental movement.

Environmental campaigner and musician Ahmed Shiham said he was disappointed that a global event had “become politicized due to the government’s unfortunate decision.”

“It’s not a crime to switch off,” he said.

Environmental group Ecocare Maldives has also urged Malé residents to continue with the Switch Off event.

“Despite the government’s disapproval on celebrating Earth Hour in Malé, Ecocare Maldives would like to call all organizations, institutions and corporations to switch off your lights and participate in the hour! Be part of the global movement from 20:30 to 21:30. We encourage all individuals to take part and use your power to change climate change,” the NGO said in a statement today.

Fathimath Thanzeela, an organizer with Save the Beach in Malé’s suburb Villingili, said the group had called off a bonfire, an acoustic music show and a fire dancing performance on the Home Ministry’s orders.

“It’s very disappointing when the situation in the country deteriorates to the extent we are unable to hold an event for the environment,” she said.

The opposition alliance has been protesting nightly since February 10, initially over President Abdulla Yameen’s alleged breach of the Constitution, and later over Nazim and Nasheed’s arrest and convictions.

The Economic Development Ministry last week ordered all shops and cafes to be shut down an hour earlier, 10 pm and 12 am respectively following the spate of street violence and arson attacks.

A 25-year-old migrant worker, Shaheen Mia, was stabbed to death on March 22. At least four expatriate workers were stabbed in the following days. On March 19, a fire at a warehouse in Malé spread to neighboring residences driving hundreds from their homes temporarily.

Meanwhile, two vehicles were torched in Malé on Thursday night. The police have not made any arrests in any of these incidences so far.

The police have threatened to crack down on nightly protests, claiming protesters were disrupting local businesses and inciting violence. The opposition has denounced the threat as an attempt to silence dissent.

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US “deeply troubled” by Maldives’ questionable commitment to democracy, human rights

The United States has called into question the Maldives’ commitment to democracy and human rights following the imprisonment of former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and the arrest of three journalists from opposition protests last week.

“The United States is deeply troubled by recent developments in Maldives that call into question that nation’s commitment to democracy and individual human rights,” the US Department of State’s Office of the Spokesperson in Washington DC said on Friday.

Nazim’s “trial was particularly concerning, as it was marred by the same apparent lack of appropriate criminal procedures as the recent trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed,” said the office.

The Criminal Court on Thursday found Nazim guilty of smuggling weapons, and sentenced him to 11 years in jail. On March 13, the court convicted Nasheed of terrorism over the military detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed in January 2012, and sentenced to him to 13 years in jail.

The US noted the Criminal Court’s refusal to call the majority of Nazim’s defence witnesses and said it had “concerns regarding the lack of impartiality and independence of the judges.”

Nazim’s lawyers have said the Criminal Court had obstructed the former Defence Minister from mounting a proper defence, and have said they will appeal the verdict at the High Court as soon as possible.

The US has called on the Maldives “to take steps to restore confidence in its hard-fought democracy and the rule of law, including judicial independence and freedom of press.”

Noting freedom of the press is a fundamental democratic right, the State Department said it was in touch with the government of Maldives to clarify why three journalists were detained without charges last week.

The three are opposition aligned Raajje TV’s Mohamed Wisam and Adam Zareer, and Channel One’s Mohamed Niyaz. They were arrested from the Alliance Against Brutality’s nightly protests on Wednesday and Tuesday, respectively.

The Maldives Police Services said the three journalists were arrested along with several protesters for “obstructing police duties and disobeying police orders.”

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal said the “Maldives’ democratic institutions remain weak and are easily manipulated, while the judiciary has become politicised.”

Testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on March 24, Biswal said increasing political turbulence in the Maldives was adding to mounting challenges, namely high youth unemployment, growing religious extremism and social unrest.

The sentencing of Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected leader, calls “into question Maldives commitment to the minimum fair trial guarantees and the rule of law,” she added.

The US will continue to engage with the Maldives on counter-terrorism, maritime security and climate change issues in 2016, she said.

“Maritime security is of great concern due to potential threats posed by narcotics trafficking, piracy in the Indian Ocean, and sea-borne trade in illicit materials that could be potentially used for terrorist activity,” she said.

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CPJ urges Maldives to free Raajje TV and Channel One journalists

New York-based Committee to Project Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday urged the government of Maldives to free three journalists arrested from opposition protests last week.

“We call on the authorities to immediately release Mohamed Wisam, Adam Zareer, and Mohamed Niyaz, and allow journalists in the Maldives to do their jobs freely and safely,” CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Bob Dietz said.

Opposition-aligned Raajje TV’s Wisam and Zareer were arrested late on Wednesday evening while covering the Alliance Against Brutality’s nightly protest. They were subsequently placed under a five-day remand.

Channel One’s cameraman Niyaz was arrested on Tuesday. He was remanded for ten days.

The Maldives Police Services said the three journalists were arrested along with several protesters for “obstructing police duties and disobeying police orders.”

“By holding these journalists without charge for days at a time, authorities in the Maldives are clearly trying to suppress news coverage of events through silencing and intimidation,” Dietz said.

Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of its staff, Raajje TV on Wednesday said: “Over the past month, Wisam and Zareer have been working tirelessly in covering the various protests and activities held in Malé City, in difficult circumstances and often under the threat of violence.”

The station also noted it was “yet to receive any justice with regards to previous attacks targeted to our station and journalists.”

Raajje TV head quarters were torched and destroyed in an arson attack in October 2013. Its former journalist Asward Ibrahim Waheed was nearly beaten to death in February 2013. No one has been held accountable for the attacks.

According to the President of the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) Mohamed Shaheeb, the Commissioner of Police Hussein Waheed in a phone call on Thursday pledged to expedite investigations and free the three journalists as soon as possible.

Speaking to Haveeru, Shaheeb urged journalists to act professionally in covering protests, claiming some act like opposition activists at gatherings, pushing back against riot police shields and aiming their cameras inches away from police officers’ faces.

“The Maldives Police Services facilitates the opportunity for journalists to cover protests. So I urge journalists to be more professional than they are now. If journalists acted within their bounds, it would be easier for us to advocate on their behalf when they get arrested from protests. Even so, we are working on these cases,” he said.

This year, the Maldives fell to 112th place in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index, marking a decline for the fourth consecutive year.

Last year saw numerous death threats sent to journalists, the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan, and a machete buried at the door of the Minivan News office.

In April 2014, President Abdulla Yameen vowed that his administration would not take action against the media “no matter how far journalists take the freedom offered by this government”.

In May 2014, the MBC released a landmark ‘Threat Analysis Report‘ which found 84 percent of journalists surveyed reported being threatened at least once, while five percent reported being threatened on a daily basis.

Journalists identified political parties to be the top source of threat. Gangs, religious extremists and parliament placed second while the government was rated third.

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UK MP urges re-establishment of Maldives rule of law in early day motion

Conservative Party MP Fiona Bruce has tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons this week urging the United Kingdom to take “all reasonable steps to encourage the re-establishment of democracy and rule of law throughout the Maldives.”

The motion – which has so far gained just three signatures – expressed alarm at the series of events that have led to former President Mohamed Nasheed’s removal from office, arrest, conviction on terrorism charges and sentencing to 13 years in jail.

It noted several irregularities in Nasheed’s trial, including the Criminal Court’s decision to deny legal representation at a number of hearings and to reject defence witnesses before they were heard.

Bruce, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Conservative Party’s Human Rights Commission, also highlighted that many of Nasheed’s supporters have been arrested and the live broadcast feed from the People’s Majlis chambers has been cut “so the public have very little knowledge of what is happening within the Parliament.”

She said that any allegations against Nasheed must be considered openly, and with due respect for justice and legal processes.

Early day motions are tabled by MPs to publicise a particular event or cause, and to gather support among MPs for that event or cause.

Nasheed’s terrorism trial regarding the military’s abduction of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed has drawn international concern. The UK, United States, and the European Union expressed concern over the lack of due process while Canada said it was “appalled by the guilty verdict”.

Bruce has previously called for sanctions against the Maldives, stating Britain and the international community could not afford to remain silent in the face of “such gross injustice.”

“Targeted sanctions against the international assets of senior members of the regime, as well as a boycott of tourist resorts owned by senior members of the regime of their associates, should be seriously considered. The Commonwealth should consider suspending the Maldives,” she said.

The ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) hit back at Fiona’s comments claiming Nasheed had been “fully accorded his rights in line with the Constitution and the laws of Maldives.”

The PPM recommended Bruce do a “basic fact-check” and said the government cannot drop the charges against Nasheed, or anyone else.

President Abdulla Yameen has previously described advocating for charges to be dropped against Nasheed as judicial interference, and said foreigners must not meddle in Maldives’ domestic affairs.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers Gabriela Knaul said the trial made a “mockery” of the Maldives Constitution and said: “The speed of proceedings combined with the lack of fairness in the procedures lead me to believe the outcome of the trial may have been pre-determined.”

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said the trial was “hasty and apparently unfair” and urged Nasheed be given adequate time to prepare and present his defence during the appeal process.

Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon has since invited the United Nations Secretary General, the Commonwealth, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the EU to send experts to observe Nasheed’s appeal process.

Nasheed’s legal team has suggested that tomorrow’s deadline for an appeal cannot be met, arguing that the court has not supplied the necessary documents.

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