maldives – Page 967 – Minivan News

President Grants clemency for 39 Maldivians and 10 expats

President Mohamed Nasheed has granted clemency to 39 Maldivians and 10 expats who were sentenced to Maldivian jails.

Most of those granted clemency were inmates sentenced for long term punishments and had spent a long time in the cells, according to Director General of Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services [DPRS] Ahmed Rasheed.

“Among the 39 Maldivians [granted clemency], most were mainly charged with drug-related cases and some of them were sentenced for objection to order and other such crimes,’’ said Rasheed.

“Seven of the 10 expats were sentenced in a single fraud case.”

Rasheed said although clemency was granted to the seven expats, they would be deported from the Maldives.

President Nasheed also granted clemency decreasing the punishment of another 100 convicted criminals.

“These people were also mainly sentenced for drug related cases and some of them had been banished,’’ Rasheed said.

Inmates at Maafushi jail have on many occasions claimed that President Mohamed Nasheed promised that he would grant clemency to everyone in Maafushi jail when he came in to power.

They claimed that most of their parents and family members voted for president Nasheed due to this pledge he made.

However, the Human Right Commission of the Maldives [HRCM] has claimed that Male’ has reached a situation where it is difficult for people to live a normal life due to rising gang violence.

The commission noted earlier this week that the release of people charged with “perilous crimes” such as murder had led to them repeating the crimes, and that the agencies responsible for the implementation of sentences are not taking necessary measures to ensure they were served.

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JSC condemns police interference

The Judicial Service Commission [JSC] yesterday issued a statement condemning the interference of police in its efforts to reappoint 160 judges before the August 7 deadline.

‘’This action of Maldives Police Services obstructed the duty given to the commission under article 285 of the Constitution, and the act violated article number 13 of the police law,’’ said the JSC’s statement. “Therefore, we strongly condemn the act of police.’’

A statement from the Maldives Police Service (MPS) said the office was closed by police at the request of President Mohamed Nasheed, to prevent “unlawful and unconstitutional work from taking place.”

In an interview with Minivan News, JSC member Aishath Velezinee said the commission was failing in its role as an oversight body and had not examined any of the 71 complaints submitted this year, and was instead protecting the interests of several individual judges, thus “robbing the nation of an honest judiciary.”

It was in the interest of certain elements in parliament, who were members of the former government, to retain the judiciary appointed by the former administration, she explained.

“What they are doing right now is going to kill the Constitution,” she told Minivan News last week, urging parliament’s Independent Commission Committee (ICC) to issue an injunction against the reappointments while an investigation was conducted.

In its statement yesterday, the Commission claimed that “under article number 285 [b] [d] of the Constitution it is the duty of the commission to reappoint judges within the time of two years. That deadline is August 7.’’

The JSC said it had “included the opinion” of members of the commission who disputed the criteria for reappointing judges – according to Velezinee, many of whom have only primary school levels of education – “and now we are following a criterion that was approved by nine present members of the commission.”

‘’Under the amended criteria, 160 judges were approved by the members of the commission [who were] present,’’ the statement added.

The JSC has 10 members.

Speaker Abdulla Shahid told MPs today that the Majlis would hold a special sitting on Saturday to settle matters relating to the transition period, on the day of the stipulated deadline.

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Sheikh Ilyas delivers sermon to MNDF in lead-up to Ramadan

Famous religious scholar Sheikh Ilyas Hussein delivered a sermon to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) yesterday entitled ”those who desire compassion.”

The object of the sermon was to spiritually prepare the MNDF officers for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.

In his sermon, Sheikh Ilyas highlighted the importance of praying, faithfulness and remaining on the rightful path. He also highlighted noble habits in the religion of Islam.

”There is no policy on this land that is profitable and valuable other than the religion of Islam,” said Sheikh Ilyas. ”As Allah (SWT) wants nothing from us, yet has provided us these privilege after announcing to believe in the perfect policy.”

“The holy quran has stated that Satan is our enemy, and Satan’s aim is to appear as our allies and to drop us into the house of punishment from the house of compassion,” Sheikh Ihyas said.

”Nobody has the ability to alter a declaration of God, no one can play with it, it is a must for us to ask from the lord of the universe,” he said. ”Those who desire compassion will accept this principle.”

Sheikh Ihyas preached that the month of Ramadan is a month of piousness and self-restraint, and a month to reinforce faith.

”Today Muslims have become feeble because they isolated the words of God, and moved forward on the path of development according to their selfish desires,” he said. ”As long as we do not change our own situation, Allah will not change it either.”

He claimed that although Muslims around the world had come into great power, they did not have faith.

”If they had faith, Muslims will be powerful and all will stay united,” he added.

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Citizen’s rights “crushed under foot”, Dr Saeed tells UK Law Society

Leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Dr Hassan Saeed has called on the UK-based Law Society to lead a mission to the Maldives to assess the erosion of the rule of law, in an interview with the organisation’s publication The Law Society Gazette.

Dr Saeed told the Society that President Mohamed Nasheed, “a former political prisoner dubbed the Maldives ‘Nelson Mandela’”, was dismantling the 2008 Constitution and trying to “crush citizens’ rights under foot”.

President Nasheed was establishing his own “public courts” to replace independent courts, the Society reported Dr Saeed as claiming, while “courts are suspended” and “judges assaulted.”

In the article, the Society’s president Linda Lee urged the Maldives authorities “to uphold and protect key constitutional principles.”

Minivan News contacted the DQP seeking clarification of the claims.

Regarding the assaults on judges, the party’s Secretary General Abdulla Ameen noted that following a ruling in a case concerning Juhmoree Party MP Gasim Ibrahim by Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, “a lot of people went outside [the judge’s] house and physically threatened him, and set his motorcycle on fire.”

Concerning the suspension of courts, “the government has created a culture of fear among the judiciary, and they have had to cancel sessions and hold emergency meetings because of the increase in tension.”

The government had breached the rights of individuals “by arresting people without warrants,” Ameen said, referring to the recent detention of People’s Alliance MP Abdulla Yameen on the Presidential Retreat of Aarah following accusations of bribery and treason.

He also criticised the government for leaking audio tapes appearing to implicate MPs for corruption, “despite the Constitution clearly protecting private conversations between individuals.”

Ameen said Dr Saeed had requested the Law Society send an independent delegation to investigate the issues, “but if any other [institution] is interested we would also welcome it.”

The President’s member on the Judicial Services Commission Aishath Velezinee has also appealed for the UN Special Rapporteur on Independent Judiciary and the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) to send mediators to the Maldives.

Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed said Dr Saeed’s claims in the Law Society article were “totally out of orbit.”

“One has to wonder what he is talking about – look at his own track record serving under former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom [as Attorney General]. We are clearly making steady progress,” Dr Shaheed said.

“Claiming that judges are being assaulted is very irresponsible. I’m not aware of any case where a judge has been assaulted, and in such an event there are domestic remedies available,” Dr Shaheed said.

Regarding Dr Saeed’s claim that courts were being suspended, “that’s outrageous. I’m not aware of a single time this has happened.”

“When a lawyer becomes a politician, they must continue to respect certain professional ethics as well,” he said.

“They are out to tarnish [President] Nasheed’s image, and they have taken issue with his awards and his description as South Asia’s ‘Nelson Mandela’,” Dr Shaheed said. “I think this is a case of the green-eyed monster.”

The request by the Law Society that the government respect the rule of law was “a standard expectation and we respect it.”

“The government is not disregarding the law,” he said. “Look at the behaviour of the other [arms of state]. Parliament is trying to usurp the powers of the executive, and the judiciary is behaving very questionably.”

Working in such an environment, Dr Shaheed said, the President had been called upon to make “some very difficult judgments, such as [the detention and release] of MP Abdulla Yameen.”

Dr Saeed recently led a DQP delegation to the UK to present the opposition coalition’s case to UK politicians and international institutions, employing a PR company to arrange interviews with several organisations, including The Law Society. The trip was jointly funded by the opposition parties, Minivan News was told at the time.

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Will Nasheed be able to compromise, asks Dr S Chandrasekharan

When the parliament session was suspended on August 2 to enable the MDP and the opposition to continue the talks to find a solution, the Speaker Abdulla Shahid called on all the members of the parliament to work in a spirit of compromise and cooperation, writes Dr S Chandrasekharan in the Eurasia Review.

“Cooperation and Compromise should have been the key, and both are missing in Maldives now. There is no doubt that the opposition could have been more accommodative. One commentator went to the extent of calling the opposition as a bunch of “assorted kleptocrats, dodgy businessmen and friends of ex president Gayoom.”

“While this may not apply to all the opposition members (some are really good), there is some truth in this comment. There are many ‘entrenched’ Gayoom’s men in all branches of the government who are suspected to be creating problems for the new government.

“It must have become clear now to President Nasheed that without the backing of his parliament, the civil servants and the judiciary, he will not be able to implement his ambitious agenda and his promises to the people.

“He is a young President of integrity and in a hurry. At the same time he has to sustain and get the young democracy take deep roots to ensure that authoritarianism never returns. Will he be able to go for compromises?”

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Police confiscate weapons, arrest 59 suspected gang members

Police arrested 59 men and confiscated an assortment of weaponry, in a special operation yesterday to try and cut down on gang violence following gang-related six stabbings and a murder over the weekend.

A statement issued by police said that the 59 men were arrested “for the collection of information”, and noted that 15 were under the age of 18.

Police investigated two guest houses suspected of being used by the gangs, and discovered narcotics, weapons and items such as gloves and masks inside.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that out of the arrested 59, 11 were released after questioning.

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives yesterday issued a statement expressing concern over the rise in gang violence and called upon all the concerned authorities to take necessary measurements to curb the violence.

Last Thursday Maldives Customs officers discovered five 3-foot long swords inside a container unloaded from a cargo ship.

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No democracy without justice, claims Reeko Moosa

Police have the right to prevent any act violating the constitution, claimed Parliamentary group leader of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik, following a police blockade of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) yesterday morning.

The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) yesterday expressed concern over the police action against the JSC, following criticism of the commission’s intention to rush through the reappointment of 160 judges before the Constitutional deadline of August 7.

Speaking to an MDP rally today, Moosa declared that “if there is no justice, there is no need of democracy.’’

“The Constitution compels the executive to uphold the constitution, so police can stop any action that violates the constitution and can enter any place where such an action is going on,’’ he claimed.

”MDP’s parliamentary group is ready to pass the bill on judges and we have informed the [opposition] Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and the speaker of the parliament,” he added.

Police cordoned the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) on Monday morning, preventing its staff from working or entering the building, while the President’s Office summoned members of the judicial oversight body for questioning at an 11am meeting.

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HRCM expresses concern over gang violence, calls on the parliament to expedite bills

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has expressed concern over growing gang violence in the wake of the stabbing murder of a 17 year-old last Friday, describing the surge in violence as an obstacle to people “obtaining the freedom and rights guaranteed them in the Constitution.”

“We are very concerned that murder with sharp objects, gang wars and other crimes are now being conducted publicly,’’ HRCM said in a statement.

“It is with regret that we note that it has reached a situation where it is difficult for the people to live a normal life, and has become an obstacle for people to obtain the freedom and rights guaranteed by the Constitution.”

The commission claimed that the issue caused trouble for institutions of the state and obstructed the duties of those institutions.

“The commission has recently expressed concern over the issue and repeatedly called on the concerned authorities to pave way for a peaceful society for eternity,’’ the Commission said. “We note that the release of people charged with perilous crimes such as murder has caused them to repeat the crimes and that the agencies responsible for implementation of sentences are not taking necessary measurements.’’

The commission called on the Home Ministry and the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS) to fulfill its duties and take action quickly.

“We call on the parliament to expedite necessary bills such as the bill on the penal code, the criminal procedure bill, the evidence bill, parole bill and the bill on prohibiting threatening and using sharp objects and dangerous weapons,’’ HRCM said.

“We also appeal everyone to conduct all actions bound by the laws and in accordance with Islamic principles and democracy.’’

Recent gang violence reported

Last Saturday, a 17 year-old boy was stabbed in the leg and died after more than eight hours of treatment at Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital IGMH, according to a person familiar with the matter. A total of six men were stabbed during over the weekend.

On May 3, two men on a motorbike stabbed a 16 year old child in front of two police officers on Ameenee Magu near Imadudeen School, before fleeing.

On May 10, NGOs held discussion meeting on the new drug bill, aimed at reducing the number of drug addicts and gang violence in the Maldives.

On May 31, daily newspaper Haveeru reported simultaneous outbursts of violence near Athama Palace and Maafaanu Stadium on May 29, while another third victim was stabbed outside Galolhu police station the following day.

A 14 year old boy was also stabbed eight times on May 28, the newspaper reported, after he was reportedly mistaken by a gang for somebody else.

On June 1, a squad of masked police officers during a special operation destroyed the outer wall of Galolhu Masodige, a house police believed was being used by gangs to gather and hide weapons.

On June 16, a group of more than 10 men beat and stabbed a 19 year old man in Male’ in front of many witnesses, as he was walking down a street in Mahchangolhi, Male’.

On June 20, a 16 year-old boy was stabbed by a group of four men. The men rode up on motorbikes as the victim was near Fen building on Ameenee Magu, a person familiar with the victim told Minivan News.

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Letter on treatment of visitors

Dear Sir

Wake up – this is no way to treat your visitors! As a regular visitor to your beautiful country, I feel it’s time to let you know what many international visitors to the Maldives feel about your poor airport service.

Should foreign visitors to the Maldives be treated to such poor service at the important time of arriving and leaving the country – especially when there are many other equally beautiful island countries around the world where they can spend their holidays?

Passport Control – here there are often long and unpleasant delays and queues on arrival. To make matters worse the guest has to go through the gauntlet of the impolite passport control staff. How difficult is it for them to offer a greeting to the guest as they arrive at the passport counter? “Good afternoon” – “thank you” – “goodbye…” It’s so easy and so simple. The passport control staff need a lesson in basic manners and why it is important for the benefit of their country that guests are treated with basic courtesy.

Food – There is a self-service cafeteria at the International Terminal – (apparently owned by a Maldivian – Mr Hassan Bagir), where there are no pricing notices and where a cup of coffee will cost the same as the most expensive cities in the world, London or Paris.

The service in this cafe is poor and unpleasant, and one has to ask for change! No wonder there were no Maldivians eating or drinking at the tables of this cafeteria – it’s only the ignorant foreigner who is foolish enough to order food and drinks here.

Souvenir shop – where the Hindi Film is so loud you cannot think clearly and the staff have no other interest than to watch the Hindi film. The badly displayed stock includes Sharks Heads (I thought Shark Fishing in Maldives is meant to be banned?)

Customs and immigration – It’s still unbelievable that visitors coming to the Maldives from somewhere like Sri Lanka or Thailand will have any Buddhist statues in their possession confiscated. This is crazy when you have an excellent museum in Male’ displaying Buddhist statues – representing a period of Maldives history!

I would like to suggest to the Airport Authorities and the Ministry of Tourism: Wake up, this is no way to treat your visitors!

I hear a new airport is going to be built in the Maldives – there is little point unless there is an understanding why customer service and basic manners are important in the competitive business of tourism.

Yours,
Concerned Visitor

All letters are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to submit a letter, please send it to [email protected]

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