Tag: maldives

Missing Maldivian surfaces in Bangkok

A Maldivian citizen reported missing in Malaysia five months ago has handed himself into consular staff in Bangkok.

Hamdhan Mohamed made himself known to Maldivian consular officials yesterday, with Malaysian High Commissioner Mohamed Fayaz telling local media that the 28-year-old was in good health.

Authorities began the search for Hamdhan in June after he failed to board two booked flights back to the Maldives. Interpol later issued a missing persons notice.

Fayaz told media that the cause of the disappearance was still unknown, but that a team from the High Commission in Malaysia would now travel to Thailand to meet with Hamdhan.

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Government unveils integrated resort project at World Travel Market

The Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) has unveiled its integrated resort development project at the World Travel Market in London this week.

Representatives from the Maldivian government’s tourism promotion department – as well as local tour operators – are taking part alongside 146 representatives from 54 countries.

“A press conference was held on the first day of the fair, where the highlight of the conference was the recently launched Integrated Resort Project which was disseminated to the audience,” read an MMPRC press release.

The new scheme, described as ”communal tourism development” or “vertical tourism” by President Abdulla Yameen is being overseen by the MMPRC.

Sixteen bids were reported to have been received earlier this year for the first 20 plots made available as part of the Thumburi guest house island project – designed to attract small and medium business to an industry dominated by high-end island resorts.

Also present in London this week are representatives of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), which is acting as an associate partner for the second year.

“This partnership opens new doors for MATATO members,” explained the association – the only Maldivian group to be given associate partner status.

”We believe that the growth and sustainability of our members, local travel agents and tour operators and other industry stake holders, require continued exploration and networking efforts in the emerging markets along with strengthening the presence in the lucrative markets for Maldives.”

The World Travel Market was launched in 1980, and has grown from 350 exhibitors to around 5,000 and 50,000 participants – agreeing deals worth $3.7 billion last year alone.

The Maldives tourism industry welcomed over one million tourists for first time in 2013, with the government expecting the 1.5 million arrivals in 2015.

The MMPRC visited China last month in an effort to further boost the now-dominant Chinese market, which makes up over 30 percent of the market share.

Recent statistics show that visitors from the UK – traditionally one of the largest sources of tourists to the Maldives – rose to 8 percent of the total in the first three quarters of 2014.

“The Maldives delegation will be meeting with the Top Travel Agents and Travel trade media to identify opportunities to build strong ties between two countries and to identify strategies to increase the number of tourist arrivals from UK,” said the MMPRC today.

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Auditor general’s position opened for applications

The President’s Office has this morning called for applications for the auditor general’s post after controversial changes to the Audit Act last week.

Incumbent Niyaz Ibrahim has told local media he will not be applying for the post, intending instead to challenge the constitutionality of the amendments which require the president to reappoint an auditor within one month.

The announcement was published in the government gazette today and will be open until 3pm on Monday, November 10. Forms are available on the President’s Office website.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party is also considering challenging the legality of the amendment, introduced as part of changes to legislation bringing statutes in line with the 2008 Constitution.

Proposing the motion, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Thoriq noted that the Audit Act was passed in 2007 before the ratification of the current Constitution and did not specify the responsibilities, mandate, qualification and ethical standards of the auditor general.

The amendment was passed last week, the same day the auditor general signed a damning report into an alleged US$6 million corruption scandal involving Minister of Tourism and PPM deputy leader Ahmed Adeeb.

Adeeb has labelled the report political motivated, suggesting an attempt to defame him by his political opponents.

Minivan News understands former Deputy Speaker and PPM MP Ahmed Nazim was involved in leaking documents related to the case to online news outlet CNM, which first broke the story of the Anti-Corruption Commission investigating the transactions.

In an interview with Haveeru yesterday, Niyaz denied being influenced by the Dhiggary MP Nazim, stating that their relationship during Nazim’d time as head of the Majlis’ financial committee was not in any way unusual.

Both Niyaz and his family have received death threat since the release of the report.

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Indian External Affairs Minister meets with Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon last night (November 3) during her transit halt in the Maldives on her travels back to India from Mauritius.

At the meeting both Ministers discussed matters of bilateral importance, including upcoming projects in the Maldives to be executed with India’s assistance.

Ms Swaraj also extended Victory Day greetings to all Maldivians – celebrated annually to commemorate the heroes who defended the country during the failed coup attempt in November 3, 1988 – while reiterating India’s strong commitment towards the prosperity, stability, and security of the Maldives.

India was the first to respond during the attack on the capital Malé by deploying 1500 paratroopers and 3 warships after a distress call from the then President Maumoon Abdulla Gayoom asking for assistance from India, UK, and the USA.

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Future of Gulhifalhu in doubt as government halts project

Additional reporting by Ismail Humaam Hamed

The future of the Gulhifalhu development project appears uncertain as the government called a halt to proceedings, being said to have deemed the island unfit for habitation.

A buyer’s association – comprising seven families who made down payments on flats four years ago – now fear their investment may be lost.

“We are not big businessmen. We are simple people who gave up all our life savings because we wanted accommodation near the capital Malé,” said the association’s representative Adam Nadeem.

After paying the 30 percent – or MVR500,000 – of the cost of each flat in 2010, with a promise of a new home in 6 months, buyers were informed last week that the government had suspended further development, he explained.

Global Project Developments (GPD) have today said that the plan to build housing units was formulated upon the request of the state-owned Gulhifalhu Investments Ltd (GIL) and that all necessary permits were obtained in 2011.

“GPD believes that if there are any issues which would affect the livelihood of habitants of the island it is the responsibility of the government and GIL to address those issues,” read a press release from GPD.

GPD – a subsidiary of the UK company Capital Investment and Finance Ltd (CIFL) – went on to accuse GIL of failing to uphold its part of the agreement in registering the houses with the relevant authorities.

The project to develop the submerged reef situated between the islands of Villingili and Thilafushi – just minutes from the capital Malé – was signed in 2007 under the government of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Investment plans

Initially envisioned as an industrial project, the development was amended after the arrival of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration, taking on the title of the Global Green City, and focusing on housing units to ease congestion in the capital city.

CIFL, having signed a 35-year lease agreement with the state-owned GIL, then established GPD in order to continue the reclamation and development of the island.

After the completion of the first housing units last month, however, the cabinet’s Economic Council informed GIL that the island was not fit for habitation due to health and geological factors, reported local media.

The island is located just 200 yards from Thilafushi – often referred to as a ‘toxic bomb’ owing to the fumes produced as much of the nation’s waste is burned on site.

Despite this, the Environmental Protection Agency had issued approval for the construction of 240 two-bedroom flats in November 2011.

Neither GPD nor the buyers association have been provided a copy of the GIL statement. Officials from the President’s Office were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

Nadeem explained that meetings with the President’s Office and the Economic Council last December had been positive, with no sign that the future of the development was in danger.

Indeed, the Maldives’ first amusement park opened on the island the same month, with locals now visiting from the neighbouring islands every weekend. Additionally, two beach villas are available for visitors wishing to stay overnight.

Investor confidence

The disruption to the Gulhifalhu project is the latest in a series of foreign investor agreements that have faced difficulties after a change of government.

The Tatva waste management project became the latest deal signed under the MDP government to founder last month, with the government announcing that it wished to use a state-owned company to provide such services in the capital.

Deals for both border control and – most notably – airport development were also terminated by the government of Dr Mohamed Waheed, while the Tata housing project in Malé was delayed for two years as the incoming administration sought revised terms.

Assuming power in November 2013, the government of President Abdulla Yameen has sought to rebuild investor confidence, making the introduction of special economic zones (SEZ) the cornerstone of its economic policy.

The fostering of an investor friendly environment is intended to facilitate the development of a number of ‘mega projects’ which the administration hopes will move the economy away from its current dependence on tourism.

The SEZ bill was passed in September, and China has signed a preliminary contract agreement on the development of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport as well as promising to “favorably consider” financing the bridge project.

Proposed projects in the Malé region include the continued development of Hulhumalé to house the capital’s overflowing population, the construction of the Malé-Hulhulé bridge, and the relocation of the country’s main port from Malé to Thilafushi.

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Adeeb “saddened” at PPM colleague’s attempts to link him with missing journalist

Tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb has expressed sadness at reports fellow party member Ahmed Nazim had attempted to link him with the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

“I am saddened that former Majlis Deputy Speaker asked different journalists to write, implicating me in the case to divert focus, as the case was being investigated by police,” said the deputy leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) yesterday.

Adeeb spoke to the press in response to a damning report from the auditor general, implicating him in a US$6 million corruption scandal.

Rumours of Nazim’s attempts to have Adeeb linked with the disappearance of Rilwan on August 8 first appeared in an independent report commissioned by the Maldivian Democracy Network in September.

The report – which mentioned multiple potential lines of inquiry – suggested that radicalised gangs were the most likely groups to have abducted Rilwan from outside his home in Hulhumalé.

The 28-year-old’s disappearance 85 days ago remains a mystery, with the journalists’ family last week submitting an official complaint to the Police Integrity Commission regarding the authorities’ lack of progress in the search.

Blaming political opponents for the release of the audit report this week, Adeeb repeated suggestions that his enemies were attempting to smear him after his failure to support them in the selection for leadership of the Majlis in May.

“But I didn’t believe the threats because the auditor general is someone I respected. I believed up until the report was released yesterday that he would not compromised. Nazim threatened me very recently as well before he left for Malaysia.”

Nazim – who was not selected as a PPM candidate for Majlis deputy speaker – left the country last week just as the criminal court ordered that his passport be held in relation to unspecified charges.

Adeeb also heads the cabinet’s Economic Council  as well as the newly formed special economic zone investment board, having risen from relative obscurity prior to 2012 to become arguably the second most powerful man in the government behind President Abdulla Yameen.

He told journalists that Dhiggaru MP Nazim had suggested to the media that Rilwan was abducted in relation to his work on the Dhaalu Maagau case – also featured in the recent audit report.

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Tourism Minister implicated in US$6million corruption scandal

An audit report has implicated Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb in a corruption scandal involving US$6million, a day after ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) amended the Audit Law to reappoint the Auditor General (AG).

AG Niyaz Ibrahim, in today’s special audit report, said the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Company (MMPRC) obtained a US$1million loan from Maldives Tourism Development Corporation in the guise of making an urgent payment to a foreign party and subsequently loaned the money to a company owned by Adeeb’s father.

Adeeb owned a 35 percent share in Montillion International Private Ltd, but transferred his shares to his father in March 2012 when he assumed the post of Tourism Minister.

The company only made MVR 70,100 in 2011 through trade, but in the period between 2012 and 2014, US$ 6.8 million and MVR 3.6 million from tourism related business rolled through the company’s accounts, the report noted.

In a separate case, the MMPRC also asked the Maldives Ports Ltd (MPL) to hand over MVR 77.1million to pay the company US$5million at a later date. MPL agreed to transaction despite demonstrating no need for dollars.

MMPRC immediately transferred MVR 77.1million to a private company Millenium Capital Management Pvt Ltd. Only US$ 3 million of the pledged US$5million has been paid back. The audit report said Adeeb helped MMPRC push the deal through.

It also suggested the Tourism Ministry awarded a company owned by an Italian an island for resort development to pay back US$2.25million of the US$6million MMPRC owed to MPL and MTDC.

According to the report, Adeeb has failed to declare assets as per Article 138 of the Constitution since he took up the post of Tourism Minister.

The Tourism Ministry and Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) refused to cooperate with the investigation, the report noted.

In a tweet Adeeb has condemned the report as politically motivated.

Channel News Maldives (CNM) broke the story of the US$6million corruption scandal in May. Its reporter Abdulla Haseen was charged with disobedience to order in August, but the Prosecutor General withdrew the charges a few weeks later.

Minivan News understands former deputy Speaker of Majlis Mohamed Nazim was involved in leaking documents to CNM. His passport was withheld last week, but Nazim left the country on the date the warrant was issued.

Millenium, Montillion, New Mood

Niyaz said MMPRC had obtained MVR77.1million from MPL and US$1million from MTDC to provide illegal loans to private companies.

Although MPL approved the MVR 77.1million payment in exchange for US$5 million, the company had no need of dollars and the transaction was made on MMPRC’s initiation, not MPL’s.

Further, MPL’s 2014 budget shows it required only US$2.2million for machinery in 2014, but the bidding process had not been opened at the time of transaction. MPL also had US$800,000 in treasury bonds and a large amount of dollars in its accounts.

Moreover, MMPRC is not authorized to engage in dollar trade and does not have the capacity to buy or sell US$5 million, as its working capital at the end of 2013 stood at US$4.5million and assets were only worth MVR 324,485.

MPL authorized the “risky” transfer after MMPRC issued two dated checks. When MMPRC failed to make its second payment of US$2.5 million on July 8, the agreement was amended to allow the company to pay back the money by December 1. The report said the amendment was made because Millennium failed to repay MMPRC on time.

In the second case, MMPRC on April 9 asked MTDC for an urgent loan of US$1million to make an urgent payment to a foreign party for tourism promotion. The loan was to be paid back by May 15.

The money was transferred to Adeeb’s father’s company Montillion on April 15.

But MMPRC made no payment to any foreign party in the period. The loan was paid back by New Mood Resort Pvt Ltd, which was given Dhaalu Atoll Maagau Island, at a head lease rent of US$2.25 million.

Toursim Ministry and MIRA refused to reveal details of the Maagau deal despite repeated requests, the audit report said.

Montillion is also accused of bribing a senior tourism ministry official with US$450,000 in February in a separate resort development deal.

Neither the Finance Ministry nor the MMPRC board were involved in either case. The MMPRC’s Managing Director Abdullah Ziyath personally handled all of the transactions, including picking up checks, against the company’s procedures.

Niyaz has recommended all individuals involved in the two cases be investigated for corruption and charged with abuse of power.

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Everything will change once Rilwan is found, police commissioner tells Haveeru

Police Commissioner Hussein Waheed has said that everything happening in Maldivian society would change if missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan were to be found.

In an exclusive interview with Haveeru, Waheed denied police negligence in the investigation while again refusing to reveal any specifics into the investigation’s progress.

“Saying that Rilwan hadn’t been found, I don’t believe any slips have been made in the investigation which would justify the accusation. But there are lessons to be learned with every investigation. We are learning the lessons,” he said.

Rilwan’s family yesterday lodged an official complaint with the Police Integrity Commission, accusing police of negligence in investigating the 28-year-old’s disappearance, as well as disrespect shown towards the family.

Waheed today repeated suggestions previously made by the home minister that non-governmental and media organisations were partially responsible for the apparently stalled investigation.

A reports commissioned by the Maldivian Democracy Network suggested radicalised gangs were the most likely culprits in the abduction 83 days ago. Police later dismissed the findings as irresponsible, though home minister has since acknowledged gang involvement in the disappearance.

“No one should think that we have forgotten about Rilwan’s case,” Waheed told Haveeru today.

“There are many different analyses. Considering the current progress of the investigation, and given that I manage investigative teams, I cannot, at the moment, give you 100 percent confirmation that a gang or group was involved in this.”

Asked if investigations had led police to believe Rilwan was still alive, Waheed only replied that they had found no evidence he was dead.

Numerous international group – most recently Amnesty International – have called upon police to expedite investigations.

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Fuvahmulah couple the latest to travel to ISIS territory for jihad

A couple from Fuvahmulah are reported to be the latest Maldivians to have left the country in order to wage jihad in Syria.

Local media has reported that Ahmed Munsih and his wife Suma Ali told family last night that they were already in Syria and that they would not be returning.

The news follows reports last week that four members of the same family, from Raa Atoll Meedhoo, had travelled to ISIS held territory –  currently comprising large swathes of Syria and Iraq.

Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed told Haveeru that efforts were underway to discourage those wishing to travel for jihad.

In September, an online jihadist group Bilad Al Sham Media – believed to be based in Syria and the Maldives – claimed that a total of four Maldivian men had now been killed while fighting in the Syrian civil war.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has claimed that up to 200 Maldivians are on jihad, telling international media that ex-security servicemen were often among those travelling to fight abroad.

“Radical Islam is getting very, very strong in the Maldives. Their strength in the military and in the police is very significant,” the opposition leader told the UK’s Independent newspaper last month.

On September 5, a protest march took took place in Malé with participants bearing the Islamic State’s flag calling for the implementation of Islamic Shariah in the Maldives.

‘We want the laws of the Quran, not the green book [Maldivian constitution]‘, ‘Islam will eradicate secularism’, ‘No democracy, we want just Islam’, and ‘Shariah will dominate the world’, read some of the placards carried by protesters.

The UK government last week said it was aware of ISIS sympathisers in the Maldives, and that it will continue to “engage” with the government regarding religious moderation.

In late August, Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon condemned “the crimes committed against innocent civilians by the organisation which identifies itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.”

Dunya’s remarks followed Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed’s declaration that the ISIS would not be allowed to operate in the Maldives.

“ISIS is an extremist group. No space will be given for their ideology and activities in the Maldives,” Shaheem tweeted on August 24.

Intelligence service provider ‘The Soufan Group’ has estimated that as many as 12,000 fighters from at least 81 countries have joined civil war in Syria

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