Release of 47 inmates proceeded “without complaint”, says State Home Minister

State Minister for Home Affairs Mohamed ‘Monaza’ Naeem has told Haveeru that the release of 47 inmates has proceeded “without complaint”, reports Haveeru.

The inmates are part of the government’s ‘Second Chance Programme’, which is sponsoring the rehabilitation and release of 400 inmates into society.

Naeem yesterday told the paper that the inmates are currently undergoing mentor training before entering the job market. This training follows a life skills programme and religious classes.

Inmates were selected for release according to their crime and behavior in jail. Naeem told Haveeru that those convicted of paedophilia, illegal drug trade, gang violence, or who have been offered clemency while in jail, were not included in the Second Change Programme.

Deputy Health Minister Lubna Mohamed Zahir Hussain told Haveeru that the second round of releases has not been scheduled yet.

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President’s nomination for Auditor General refused by finance committee

Former President of the Anti-Corruption-Commission (ACC) Ali Rasheed Umar,who was proposed by President Mohamed Nasheed as the new Auditor General following a vote of no-confidence in Ibrahim Naeem, has been refused by parliament’s finance committee.

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan said Umar was failed “due to integrity issues.”

“Some questions were raised at the committee regarding issues of integrity,” said Nihan. “There were some claims made against  him when he was the President of ACC, and some other issues.’’

Former Auditor General Ahmed Naeem was dismissed by a no-confidence motion in parliament.

Parliament voted to dismiss Auditor General Naeem with 43 in favour and 28 against, after the ACC accused him  of corruption for using the government’s money to buy a tie and visit Thulhaidhu in Baa Atoll.

Naeem claimed the charges were an attempt to discredit his office and prevent him from reclaiming the government’s money stored in overseas bank accounts.

“A lot of the government’s money was taken through corrupt [means] and saved in the banks of England, Switzerland, Singapore and Malaysia,” Naeem claimed, demanding a financial audit of current and former government ministers. He was dismissed by the opposition majority parliament several weeks later.

Press secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair was unavailable at time of press.

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