Tag: minivan news

Extradited drug kingpin Shafaz brought to Malé

Convicted drug kingpin Ibrahim Shafaz Abdul Razzak – caught in Sri Lanka’s capital city Colombo on Tuesday – has now been transferred to the Maldives’ capital city Malé.

After being sentenced to an 18 year jail term, Shafa was temporarily released in February for three months to seek medical treatment in Colombo.

After his failure to return during the allocated time period which ended on May 5, Shafaz was arrested in joint operation between Maldives and Sri Lankan security personnel.

Earlier in April, Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer pledged to extradite Maldivian offenders from whichever country they were in.

“No offender should delude themselves into thinking that they can flee from the Maldives and peacefully live elsewhere. That cannot be done.”

“The first topic of discussion that I take up with leaders, Home Ministers and police leaders of every country I travel to is that in the instance there is a runaway Maldivian offender in the country, they should arrest them immediately and turn them over to the Maldivian authorities,” he said at the time.

Shafaz currently remains under police custody, but will be transferred to the Maldives Correctional Services.

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MNDF forms emergency response teams

Chief of Defence Force Major General Ahmed Shiyam has announced that the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) is setting up a paramedic contingent which will include emergency response teams.

At the closing ceremony of the ‘First Responders Training Workshop’ organised with the aid of the US government, Shiyam stated that the training contributed to strengthening the skills of emergency response teams which were comprised of both health care and defence personnel.

He further spoke of the importance of establishing a ‘sea hospital’ which can travel from island to island, citing difficulties faced in transporting patients from one island to the other in the Maldives due to the geographical settings.

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Plans revealed for overdue development of IGMH

The US$7 million (MVR118 million) renovation of Malé’s Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) is set to end the concerns of patients with no choice but to use the capital’s only public hospital.

Following yesterday’s announcement, dissatisfied users of IGMH – a gift from India – have told Minivan News that they are currently forced to use its services due to the lack of reasonably priced alternatives.

“The state should be able to offer better and more reliable services than this,” said Ahmed Arshad whose father recently passed away while on the hospital’s waiting list for a bed.

“While I am deeply displeased with the services there, I go there because there is little other choice,” said Shahid Ameen, 35.

According to a statement issued by the hospital’s management, the plans – which include a new 11-storey wing – represent the first major development undertaken since the hospital’s construction 19 years ago.

Plans also include renovation of the hospital’s infrastructure and the upgrading of the Villimalé Health Centre to a 15-bed hospital. IGMH’s new wing – set to be finished by December – will be dedicated to prenatal care and paediatrics and the current dialysis centre expanded.

In his capacity as acting health minister, Minister of Defence and National Security Mohamed Nazim has also announced that the government is seeking to employ 225 additional doctors, who will enjoy revised pay structures – the details of which are yet to be revealed.

Current services

Aishath Inas – a 28 year old teacher – welcomes the proposed development, noting that it is currently “very difficult and time consuming” to get services at IGMH.

“There are long waiting lists even to get a bed in the ward, and people need to wait days to get the medical attention they seek,” she said.

Shahid Ameen noted that the current facilities were hard to locate, despite saying he frequently visits the hospital.

“As for getting appointments with specialists – especially those in the Internal Medicine or Orthopaedics department – well, better to just forget about it. You have to stand in queue for hours, sometimes even days, before you can get an appointment,” he said.

61-year-old Shaheeda Mansoor says she avoids going to the hospital if at all possible.

“It costs a bit more, but it is worth the money to go to clinics instead as you can get faster, and more quality services there when it comes to consultations. However, I still go to IGMH to do some tests as those services are rarely available in the clinics,” she explained.

Development

Indian company Renaatus Projects Pvt Ltd will be undertaking the development work which commenced on May 18 and is estimated to be completed within 15 months.

Under the project, the in-patient wards, attached bathrooms, the Intensive Care Unit, operation theaters, labour rooms, emergency room, and the hospital’s basement will be renovated.

Equipment worth MVR4.5 million (US$291,451) has been donated  to the dialysis centre by MedTech Pvt Ltd and Medicom Pve Ltd while a special consultation room will be set up for a recently-recruited specialist in kidney related illnesses.

The new Villimalé Hospital will contain a three-bed labour room, an operation theatre, five consultation rooms, and an emergency services room.

Nazim – who local media reports to be currently heading the Ministry of Health – announced that the state is looking specialists across numerous areas of expertise, including anaesthetists, cardiologists, dermatologists, gynaecologists, paediatricians, and psychiatrists.

At the press conference, State Minister of Health and Family Hussain Rasheed said that the state will complete the hiring of doctors within 45 days, with 91 medical officers to be placed in health centres across the country and specialists assigned to atoll and regional hospitals.

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Police conclude special operation regarding Taxi regulations

Police have revealed on 21 unlicensed drivers have been fined in a month-long operation to see if taxi drivers are observing the Taxi Driving Regulations.

During the operation – between April 16 and May 18 – police also fined 13 taxis who had tinted glass on their windows.

Additionally, 49 drivers have been fined for not displaying their licenses in a manner that can be easily seen by passengers while another 29 were fined for not correctly displaying the taxi number and name of its service station on the cab itself.

One person has been fined for not having fixed the vacancy indication board on his cab.

A total of 156 persons have been fined for various offences since the regulations – unpopular with many drivers – came into effect, revealed police.

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President appoints new member to the JSC

President Abdulla Yameen has today appointed Mohamed Faisal as the president’s appointee to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC).

Faisal had previously filled the post of secretary general at the People’s Alliance – a party originally established by Yameen but dissolved by the Elections Commission in February this year.

The watchdog – charged with appointment, promotion, and disciplining of judges – has recently faced criticism from both Yameen and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party for its failure to include investigations into sitting judges.

In addition to the president’s representative, the constitution requires the ten-member commission to include the Majlis speaker; a judge from the Supreme Court, High Court and trial courts; the chair of the Civil Service Commission; the attorney general; and representatives from the Majlis, the public and the legal profession.

Faisal replaces previous presidential appointee to the judicial watchdog, Shamsul Falah, who was appointed on November 28, 2013.

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JSC defends handling of judge investigations in face of criticism

The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has maintained that it is following procedures in ongoing investigations, after criticism from both President Abdulla Yameen and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

President Yameen has called on the JSC to expedite disciplinary cases against judges, specifically highlighting the case against the Chief Judge of the High Court Ahmed Shareef.

“It is now exceeding over a year since the case was submitted. [Judge Shareef] is not required to report to work, he is under suspension. However, he is still getting paid. How can we accept this?” Yameen said earlier this week in Addu atoll.

Meanwhile, the MDP yesterday released a statement expressing concern about the delays in pursuing the cases against Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed, following the police’s recent announcement that investigations into Hameed’s alleged appearance in a series of sex tapes had been suspended.

JSC Spokesperson Hassan Zaheen told Minivan News that the commission was currently working on both cases.

“We are continuing to work in the investigation process of the case against Judge Ahmed Shareef,” he explained.

“Even in Judge Ali Hameed’s case, the JSC is doing what is necessary in the investigation stages. We are doing what is required of the JSC. It is none of our concern that the police have decided to file the matter,” he said.

He refused to comment further on the criticism levied against the commission.

Commission criticism

Speaking in Addu, Yameen highlighted the importance of JSC members being independent and able to review cases justly.

Adding that the law does not allow for any persons to be “kidnapped” or kept under forceful banishment, the president stated that “it is a deeply saddening journey to be forced to stay away from one’s job for 12 months and still continue to be paid”.

A High Court Judge is entitled to monthly pay and allowances summing up to MVR56,300 (US$3,651). Judge Ahmed Shareef continues to receive the full salary despite his suspension.

Shareef’s suspension came as he presided over a legal challenge to the legitimacy of the Hulhumalé Magistrate Court bench, which was handpicked by the JSC to oversee the trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed for the January 2012 detention of Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

Judge Ahmed Shareef was suspended by the JSC in May last year, more than 12 months after the initial submission of complaints in relation to potential corruption.

JSC Chair and Supreme Court Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla at the time claimed the suspension was unrelated to the Nasheed/Hulhumalé case.

The JSC subsequently contested the High Court’s jurisdiction to hear the case into the legality of the magistrate court – no hearings have been held in the Nasheed trial for over 12 months.

Nasheed’s legal team sent a letter to the High Court late last month, requesting the case be continued immediately.

Yesterday, the MDP said that the failure to proceed with the cases against Ali Hameed demonstrated the current state of the Maldivian justice system.

A statement released by the party noted that police had filed the cases into Ali Hameed’s alleged appearance in sex tapes, the JSC’s halting of the investigation into complaints against the same judge, and alleged destruction of  papers concerning a corruption case against Hameed being destroyed in a coffee spill.

“We therefore note that the criminal justice system of this country is one that has failed to deliver justice. That the cases against Ali Hameed fail to be investigated, and the surprising events that unfold if a case against him is filed at the courts clearly demonstrate the status of this country’s criminal justice system.”

President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali refused to comment on the allegations today, stating “this government does not see it as necessary to comment on everything that the opposition MDP has to say”.

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Taxi drivers brand calls to introduce Dhivehi taxi boards “ridiculous”

The Dhivehi Language Academy has called on taxis to change their boards to read ‘Taxi’ in the Dhivehi Thaana script instead of English – a move branded “ridiculous” by drivers.

“The problem is not that ‘taxi’ is an English word,” President of the Dhivehi Language Academy Ashraf Ali explained.

“It can be a word of any language, but the law says if a word does not have a Dhivehi equivalent it should simply be written in the Thaana script. The lettering, at least, should be in Dhivehi even if the word is not,” he said.

Taxi drivers have responded with exasperation to the academy’s suggestion.

“It is a waste of money,” said Malé taxi driver Ahmed Afra. “And in any case, what difference does it make? Should we also have someone sit atop the cabs to say whether we are vacant or occupied in sign language for those who can’t read?”

“All this is reaching the ridiculous now. Like the Transport Authority says, the board suffices as a symbol of occupancy and is an added convenience to the passenger. I don’t see why the academy feels the need to complicate things further,” continued Afra.

The new signs became mandatory from May 15, after repeated delays following resistance from drivers who claimed the new regulations – which included mandatory insurance, medical checks, and regulated fares – were too strict.

The Dhivehi Academy was created under the 2011 National Language (Priority) Act and is charged with continuing the preservation and development of the language.

Ashraf has said that precedence must be given to the local language according to the law, and that therefore any English words must be printed in smaller print beneath a larger Dhivehi word.

However, Transport Minister Ameen Ibrahim has told local media that the word ‘Taxi’ written on boards placed atop vehicles should not be seen as a phrase, but rather as a symbol identifying whether vehicle is vacant.

“We can use ‘Taxi’ in either manner. But in this case, we are not using ‘Taxi’ as a phrase, but rather as sign language – as a symbol. Technical persons say that it is a symbol. It is the same in almost all other countries of the world,” he is quoted as saying to local media.

Taxi drivers have said the discussion between the Transport Ministry and the Dhivehi Academy shows the state had implemented the new regulations before it was properly reviewed.

Hassan Shameel argued that the government should have to bear the cost of further changes to the signs, arguing that the transport authority should have resolved such issues before implementing the new regulations.

“Where has the Dhivehi Language Academy been all this time? It’s been an year since this was gazetted, and they snap awake after it was implemented on the 15th of this month and suddenly are concerned about the language. Why didn’t they act before?”

“In any case, if they love the language so much, why do they not notice that the schools, streets, hospitals have their names in English? Why be concerned about taxis alone?” he continued.

Academy president Ashraf stated that the intention was not to increase costs for the drivers, but to come to a reasonable solution through discussions with the Transport Authority.

“There can’t be an immediate solution, and we are aware of that. We are trying to do a sincere task here. All we want is for everyone to embrace and take pride in our individuality and national identity,” he said.

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President appoints high commissioners to Sri Lanka and Pakistan

President Abdulla Yameen has filled the posts of Maldivian High Commissioner in both Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The president appointed Zahiya Zareer of Galolhu Zafna to the post of High Commissioner to Sri Lanka while Major General (Retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel was appointed to the vacant post in Pakistan.

Zahiya Zareer served as education minister during former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration.

Major General (Retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel acted as chief of the defence force during the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

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ACC orders CSC to exclude Transport Authority director from reviewing bids

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has ordered the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to exclude Transport Authority Director General Sami Ageel from reviewing bids related to any offices under the jurisdiction of the civil service.

Local media reports that the ACC sent this order on May 7, following which the commission has notified the Transport Ministry. Sami has been alleged to be involved in a number of corruption cases.

While refraining to provide additional information, ACC President Hassan Luthfy told local media that the order was sent in relation to a case currently under investigation.

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