Tag: police

Sun apologises for brothel articles, while police summon editor for questioning

Local radio station and online newspaper ”Sun” today apologised to the public, after the Maldives Media Council (MMC)’s head Mohamed Nazeef yesterday sent a letter addressed to Sun Editors Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir and Shinan Ali requesting they do so.

The apology followed the publication of a series of stories in which journalists wrote detailed and lurid accounts of their visit to an illegal massage parlour, and solicited sex from the women.

‘Sun’ issued a press release today stating that it believed the articles were “not written professionally” and that the news organisation assured that it would maintain professionalism in its future writings.

Ali told Minivan News he was “really proud” of the journalists involved and what they had reported.

“As the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has said, this kind of reporting is new to the community and we need to get used to it,” Ali said.

In its press release, Sun said that the objective of the investigation into illegal prostitution conducted in the Maldives was to draw the attention of the concerned authorities and the public over the issue.

Sun also expressed concern that if no measures were taken, prostitution would become widespread as with the drugs that circulated in the Maldives in 1970s.

The MMC has forwarded the case to the Prosecutor General, and Zahir was today summoned to police headquarters for questioning.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said  Hiriga was questioned about the articles Sun published regarding illegal prostitution conducted inside some salons and massage centers in Male’.

”Others concerned persons were also summoned,” Shiyam said, declining to disclose further information.

The MMC has claimed that the context and phrasing of the articles published on Sun Online contained phrasing suggesting that the journalists may have engaged in ‘sinful’ activities, and were written in such a way as to encourage these activities.

The MMC claimed the articles violated its media code of ethics, including Article 1 which states that no media should publish anything against the constitution or Islam, and article 9 which stipulates that media should not publish pornography, sex stories, stories that encourage sex or anything that describes such activities.

The articles are now ranked ‘most read’ on Sun Online’s website.

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Three prison guards convicted over Maafushi riot shooting sent back to prison

Three former prison guards sentenced to death by the former administration for shooting at inmates during a prison riot in 2003 have been returned to jail after they were found to be living at large.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that police had received reports that those found guilty were at large and had been handed over to the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS). He referred Minivan News to the Home Ministry for further information.

Home Minister Hassan Afeef referred Minivan News to the DPRS, while the DPRS referred Minivan News to State Home Minister Mohamed Naeem.

Naeem told Minivan News that the relevant documents showed that 12 of the 13 found guilty were sentenced to death, but former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, using Presidential privileges, had commuted their sentence to a 25 year imprisonment.

‘’The 13th person was the head of the prison – he was found guilty but was granted clemency by the High Court, which was allowed according to the then blue constitution,’’ said Naeem. ‘’It was unfair, and violated the rights of many. How come the former President could grant clemency to the head of prisons who ordered the shooting, but imprisoned the officers who did the shooting?’’

Naeem said the documents at the Home Ministry showed that the 12 officers were at first kept in Maafushi Prison until the new prison head sent a letter to the-then Home Minister Ahmed Thasmeen Ali – now the leader of the opposition – that it was unsafe for the 12 to be among the other inmates.

‘’They were then transferred to Dhoonidhoo Prison, and after two months again a letter was sent to Thasmeen from the then Deputy Police Commission saying that there was no lawful grounds for keeping convicts in Dhoonidhoo to implement verdicts,’’ he said. ‘’And that was the end of the document trail. We do not know what Thasmeen said in reply, or how they managed to stay at large.’’

Thasmeen did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Naeem said he regretted that the Home Ministry was obliged to send the convicted officers back to prison after such a long time.

‘’They have wives, kids and families, but this had to happen because of the former administration. If they had not freed them from prison, by now they would have served most of their sentence and could have even possibly apply for clemency,’’ Naeem said. ‘’But there is no other choice – it is our legal responsibility to implement verdicts, whoever it is.’’

Naeem said the action of the former administration had not only violated the rights of those found guilty, but also those of the victims.

‘’When the victims who survived that time see these convicted people roaming around the streets, how do they feel? It is unfair for them,’’ he said.

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DRP reports Umar Naseer to police for use of party letterhead

The opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), led by MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, have complained to police that the party’s former Deputy Leader was continuing to use the party’s logo and letterhead without authorisation of the DRP.

The DRP alleged that Naseer had sent a letter to the police concerning the recent protests, which was signed by Umar but with the letterhead of the DRP.

Yesterday the party told the press that Naseer had been violating the Political Parties Act and the decrees of the DRP council.

MP from former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s faction of the DRP, Ahmed Mahlouf, said it was “hard to believe that Umar Naseer would do something like that.”

“I do not think he actually did [send a letter],’’ Mahlouf said. “Thasmeen has just run out of things to do and wants to stay busy.’’

Whenever the opposition organised a protest, the police called and met with the organisers, said Mahlouf.

‘’We never send letters to police about protests, we always negotiate and discuss with them verbally,’’ he said.

Mahlouf said that if Naseer was to be banned from speaking at DRP rallies, Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) leader Dr Hassan Saeed should also be prevented from speaking at DRP-led rallies.

‘’For instance, I am the leader of DRP Youth Wing. If Umar is a person working closely with us, and we are organising a rally, why can’t he speak on DRP podiums?’’ Mahlouf questioned.

Mahlouf further stated that he did not believe that Naseer had been formally dismissed from the party, because Thasmeen had not followed due process.

“There is a suit filed in the court [concerning Naseer’s dismissal], hopefully we will win,’’ Mahlouf said.

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MNDF helping 39 homeless following Saamiliyya fire disaster

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officials are providing assistance to 39 people who have become homeless after a serious fire incident that burned down Saamiliyya, a residential building in Galolhu ward.

After the incident last week, the landlord and those living in the property paying rent were left homeless and were relocated to the Social Centre in Maafannu, a building mostly used for sporting purposes and other recreational activities.

MNDF officials have set up partitions and provided mattresses and blankets for those left homeless after the fire.

Male’ City Council told local media that the council had decided provide all assistance possible to those affected by the fire, including financial assistance.

Saamiliyya was destroyed occurred last Thursday, and two people were hospitalised as the blaze burned the residential building to the ground.

Residents of neighboring houses and furniture store Allora were also impacted by smoke from the blaze.

MNDF Spokesperson Major Abdul-Raheem told Minivan News the residents of the destroyed down house were now being looked after by Male’ City Council.

‘’We provided them blankets, mattresses and other necessities to make the place adequate,’’ said Abdul-Raheem. ‘’The list of homeless people initially had  39 names on it, later some amendments were made.’’

He said the MNDF was  now doing a damage assessment.

‘’It will take like two more days to determine the total cost of the damage,’’ he said. ‘’The police are currently investigating the cause of the fire.’’

Meanwhile local newspaper Haveeru reported the landlord’s suspicions that the fire incident was an arson attack by a relative disputing how the property was to be divided.

A woman currently living in Social Centre told the paper that she had lost everything she had gained throughout her entire life.

‘’I was able to save nothing. Clothes, household items or documents – none whatsoever,’’ she told Haveeru.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said it was too early to state whether the incident was an arson attack.

‘’We are investigating the case and  waiting for the incident report from the MNDF. We will refer to it and determine the cause of the fire,’’ he said.

Few non-commercial properties in the Maldives are insured.

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Criminal Court again orders release of high profile drug case suspect, despite High Court overruling decision

The Criminal Court has last night summoned and ordered the release of a suspect in a high profile drug case, a day after the High Court invalidated a letter sent by the Criminal Court to the police asking to release him under house arrest.

The Criminal Court first asked  police to keep Abdul Latheef, of Gnaviyani Atoll Fuvamulah, in detention as determined by the Home Ministry, until his trial reached a conclusion. However the Criminal Court later sent a letter to the police changing the court’s first decision and asking police to switch Latheef’s detention to house arrest.

The police then appealed at the High Court to invalidate the letter. The High Court judges determined that the order in the letter was not consistent with the applicable laws concerning detention, and overruled it last Tuesday.

Latheef was arrested last year in December, as he was about to drive off in his car after loading some vegetables into the trunk.

Police officers attended the area, stopped his car and unpacked the loaded items in his presence and discovered 1083.4246 grams of illegal narcotics containing the substance Tetrahydrocannabinol (found in cannabis).

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said Latheef was presented to the court prior to the custodial deadline upon a request by the Criminal Court.

‘’We have not noticed anything unusual about it,’’ he said. ‘’The court just requested police to summon him and we did, then the court ordered his release and so we released him.’’

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Police and family searching for 17 year-old runaway girl

Police have reported that a 17 year-old girl living in Male’ is still missing after four days of searching by her family.

The police identified the girl as Saha Waheed, 17, of Madaveli in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

According to police, Saha was reported missing last Monday and police are currently trying to find out what she was last wearing.

Director of Police General Investigations, Hassan Hameed, told the press that Saha had sent a text message to her family after she left: “This incident occurred by a mistake. Don’t look for me. Really sorry.”

“We have searched the islands and several guest houses and yet there has been no sign of her,” Hameed said.

Local media expressed confusion over the phrase ‘this incident’ as it was neither mentioned in the text nor explained by the police.

Police provided no further details other than to say there were no issues between the girl and her parents.

Saha was studying at the Maldives National University and staying at her sister’s place, police said.

In June last year, police searched for a 14 year-old boy and eventually located him in Addu after three days of searching. The boy left home to attend the mosque for prayers his parents raised the alarm when he failed to return.

Anyone with information concerning Saha’s disappearance should contact police on 332 2111.

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Gayoom faction marches with coffins demanding justice for 1988 coup deaths

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s faction of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) this afternoon protested outside the Prosecutor General’s Office, marched through the streets of Male’ demanding justice for the martyrs who died in the November 3 coup attempt in 1988.

The Z-DRP protesters set out from Artificial Beach carrying 19 wooden coffins wrapped in the Maldivian national flag, calling to arrest Former Defence Minister Ameen Faisal and other senior officials in the government whom they alleged were involved in the incident.

The protesters marched down Majeedhee Magu and stopped as they reached the Prosecutor General’s Office, setting down the coffins on the ground and calling for the arrest of those involved in the November 3.

They remained until the police arrived and told the protesters to leave the area, whereupon  they walked back to the Artificial Beach.

On November 3, 1988, the Maldives was attacked by 80 armed mercenaries linked to the Sri Lankan terrorist group, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom requested Indian intervention and 1600 paratroopers were deployed to the Maldives.

19 people were killed in the fighting, including several hostages taken by the mercenaries.

Zaidhul Ameen, a Z-DRP official, told Minivan News that today’s protest was to “hand over a letter to the PG, requesting him to conduct a fair trial of those involved in the November 3 attack.”

‘’There are people in the government who were definitely involved in it,’’ he said. ‘’But in the letter we did not mention anyone’s name.’’

He said depending on the reaction of the PG, more protests would be held.

The current government has set up an office and is seeking information from the public in an ongoing investigation into allegations of torture by the former administration.

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Five men gang rape 18 year-old girl in Laamu Atoll Maabaidhoo

A group of five men allegedly gang raped an 18 year-old girl on Maabaidhoo in Laamu Atoll, police have confirmed.

According to the ‘Laamuatoll’ newspaper based on Maabaidhoo, the group of five men snatched the 18 year-old girl as she was walking down a street last night, and took her to the other side of the island before gang raping her.

“Her mother noticed she was missing at 7:00pm and set out searching for her,’’ said the paper. ‘’At 9:00pm last night her mother found her sitting under a coconut palm tree, barely covered as her clothes were torn.”

The paper also reported that the group of men had blindfolded her using her headscarf, and dropped her to the ground hurting her head.

She was carried to the hospital on a vehicle as she could not walk properly due to the injuries she received, said the paper. At the hospital police were called and informed about the incident, but reportedly could not make it to the island because of poor weather.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the incident had occurred and that police were now investigating the case.

‘’We have arrested one person in connection with the case,’’ Shiyam said. ‘’We will provide more details after the investigation.’’

In March 2010, a group of 15 men abducted, drugged and gang raped a 20 year old girl, filming the incident with a mobile phone on the island of Hithadhu in Seenu Atoll.

“Two men came by on a motorbike while she was outside her house, and forced her to sit between them,” Regional Commander for Addu Atoll, Chief Inspector Hussein Adam, said at the time. “The 15 men forced her to drink a suspected liquid drug and she became drunk,” he said. ”They used box cutters to threaten her.”

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Third female arrested in connection with dead infant found in Villingili

Police have arrested a third female in connection with the prematurely abandoned baby found inside a Coast Milk Tin in Villingili last week.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that the arrest was made.

‘’She’s an 18 year-old female,’’ said Shiyam, adding that investigation was ongoing.

Shiyam said the six month premature baby was discovered after police were informed about the incident.

Yesterday, Deputy Head of police Serious and Organised Crime Department Inspector Abdulla Nawaz told the press that police had arrested a 30 year old woman from Noonu Atoll who was the suspected mother of the baby, and a 24 year old woman from Kaafu Atoll who was alleged to have assisted her deliver the baby prematurely.

Nawaz identified the suspected mother as Aiminath Shaira, 30 of Manadhoo in Noonu Atoll and the 24 year-old woman who allegedly assisted with the abortion the baby as Fathmath Aniya of Hura in Kaafu Atoll.

According to Nawaz, both women live in Male’ in the same house.

Nawaz told media that Shaira had confessed giving birth three days ago but was unable to tell police where the baby was, and that Aniya had confessed to assisting Shaira deliver the baby.

Meanwhile, islanders on Manadhoo told Minivan News they felt “deep shame” as news of the incident circulated.

‘’The island of Manadhoo has a very low profile in crime and it has remained like that for ages, until we heard that an islander of our island has given birth to an illegal child and thrown the baby away,’’ said an islander.

Shaira was a dancer, he claimed.

‘’Others arrested in connection with this case are not related to our island, we hear that they are members of her dance group,’’ he added. ‘’It’s the first time something like this happened concerning our island, we are all in deep shame, especially because people notice this island as an island that maintains a low crime rate compared to all other islands in this atoll.’’

Having a child out of wedlock remains heavily stigmatised in the Maldives. Previous studies conducted in the country by groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF) have anecdotally pointed to high rates of illegal abortion, while other studies on HIV risk factors have pointed to high levels of promiscuity and limited use of contraceptives.

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