Tag: police

Umar Naseer expects upcoming DRP protest to end with tear gas

Umar Naseer, former deputy leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), has said the opposition party will hold a protest in Male’ tonight from 9:00pm in order to demonstrate against the perceived unlawful actions and “torture” practiced by the current government.

”The government has been constantly violating the laws, religion and has been trying to over power the local councils,” Naseer claimed. ”After the protest, we have scheduled a march around the streets.”

The claims come as political parties have this week become embroiled in disputes over the legitimacy of some local councils opting to move the location of their offices without government approval.

Naseer said that all the country’s political parties were officially invited to join its protest over the issue and also called on as many citizens as possible to join in.

The former deputy leader who was dismissed from the party in December claimed he expected the protest would likely end with authorities using tear gas.

”We call on police not to follow any unlawful orders, we know that the government have been punishing police for not obeying their unlawful orders,” said Naseer. ”We are very pleased to know that Deputy Police Commissioner Rishwan was suspended for rejecting an unlawful order, it was a good example.”

He also criticized the government for not taking ” action against any senior government officials who are alleged to have been found posing naked in pictures and video files, but taking action on journalists who reported it.”

DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf said the intention of the protest was to defend the laws and to ”make things go right.”

”All the good things we brought to the country has been turned upside down today,” Mahlouf said. ”Tonight, we are coming out to make them right again, to uphold the religion and democracy.”

Mahlouf referred to the conflict in the islands and said it was an ”additional circle to the chain of the current government’s torture.”

”If we have to, we will not hesitate to go near Muleeage or near the Home Minister’s house,” said Mahlouf.

Mahlouf said that many police officers were encouraged not to follow “unlawful orders” after the alleged suspension of the Deputy Police Commissioner. Police have yet to officially confirm whether Deputy Commissioner Rishwan had been suspended.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Adhaalath Party calls on Home Minister to withdraw Deputy Commissioner suspension

The Adhaalath Party (AP) led by Sheikh Hussein Rasheed has called on the country’s Home Minister to immediately withdraw the alleged suspension of Police Deputy Commissioner Mohamed Rishwan after media reports yesterday claimed that he had been punished for not following orders to take control of the Thulusdhoo Atoll Council’s office.

Both Police and Home Minister Hassan Afeef have yet to officially confirm whether reports of the suspension are true, yet politicians have now moved to criticize the alleged decision to reprimand Rishwan.

”We call on Hassan Afeef to leave the military dictatorship characteristics and to follow the feelings of the citizens,” said the Adhaalath Party in statement on their official website.

The reports relate to ongoing disputes between the government and some local councils over the legality of decisions to relocate their offices.

Beyond criticism of Home Minister Afeef, the party also praised Deputy Commissioner Rishwan for having shown “a great example.”

”The courage you [Rishwan] has shown for the sake of the citizens and to uphold the law is something that we will never forget,” said the Adhaalath Party in the statement.

”We call on the police not to let anything happen against the laws.”

Among changes occurring to the country, the Adhaalath Party said the most important of these was the decentralised administration ushered in by last month’s local council elections.

”As a matter of fact, it is a great change, however, the image we saw in some areas were totally different,” said the party. ”Home Minister Afeef has been trying to get police illegally involved in these issues occurring in some areas.”

The party accused the current government of manipulating the police for their own ends and violating human rights and laws.

However, Afeef yesterday told Minivan News that the position of Deputy Commissioner “is not given by me and [the matter] is not related to me.”

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said he could not comment on the issue or confirm whether the reports appearing in local media were true.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police refuse to comment on reports of deputy commissioner’s suspension

The Deputy Commissioner of police Mohamed Rishwan has been reportedly suspended for allegedly disobeying an order from Home Minister Hassan Afeef concerning the Thulusdhoo atoll office, reports SunFM.

SunFM reported that the Home Minister ordered police to take over the Atoll Office in Thulusdhoo and that the Deputy Commissioner had refused to do so without a court order.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said he did not want to comment on the issue, and could not confirm whether the report was true.

Afeef told Miniban News that the position of Deputy Commissioner “is not given by me and [the matter] is not related to me.”

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News that he had not yet received the information.

”The police are an independent body,” Zuhair said. ”They work under the law.”

Zuhair recommended Minivan News contact Commissioner of Police for comment, however Ahmed Faseeh was not responding to calls at time of press.

He said that if something like this had occurred, the press office would be informed. “I have not received such information yet,” he said.

Zuhair said the government had decided to file a case in the court to solve the issue in Thulusdhoo, in which the local population have clashed with police over whether Kaafu councilors are permitted to relocate the atoll office to Thulusdhoo. The government has disputed that the councilors have the authority to do so.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Atoll councilors entered the office by force, allege police

Police have accused Kaafu Atoll councilors of entering the Thulusdho island office without the permission of police, after the Thulusdho island court ordered police to hand over the keys. Police did not comply.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that ”police are still watching over the building. When the councilors entered using force, we did not try to stop them.”

Shiyam said that police have not yet given the keys to the councilors.

”I don’t think anyone gave them the key, so police are active in the area to watch over the assets and valuables inside the building,” he said.

Local media today reported this morning the police were “laying siege” to the Atoll Office in Thulusdho and blocking the entrance, but said later that the building was handed over to the atoll councilors after minor confrontations between police and citizens of Thulusdhoo.

On Saturday, in a council meeting held in the Kaafu Atoll Office in Maafushi, the newly elected Kaafu Atoll councilors decided to move the current Atoll office in Maafushi to its former premises based in Kaafu Atoll, Thulusdhoo.

However, after the decision was made, police confiscated the keys of the former Kaafu Atoll office in Thulushoo and councilors were not allowed to enter. Councilors then requested the island court order police to hand over the keys.

The Court yesterday ordered the police to hand over the keys to the atoll councilors, and also court ordered the police not to obstruct the work of Atoll Councilors.

In a meeting with the press today, Home Minister Hassan Afeef said that the councilors did not have the authority to decide where the council’s office should be located.

”The passed the resolution not after discussing with us,” SunFM quoted Afeef saying. ”There will be no law that gives authority to the council to decide where there office will be located.”

Meanwhile the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has expressed concern over the violence occurred in Thulusdhoo.

HRCM said that the commission was observing the commotion since yesterday and noted that it was “worsening day by day.”

”We call on all the concerned authorities to solve the issue by negotiating,” said the HRCM. ”And we all call on everyone to keep their actions within the law.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police questioning of Haveeru journalists an attack on free media, claims MJA

The questioning of two Haveeru journalists by police over a report on the alleged blackmail of MPs and other high profile figures through indecent images has been criticised by the Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) as a step to suppress free media in the country.

MJA President Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir said that the action taken by police in questioning Haveeru’s Ahmed Hamdhoon and Ismail Naseer was unprecedented under the current constitution.

The questioning represented a serious challenge in the country to investigative journalism and a denial of rights outlined under Article 28 of the constitution relating to freedom of the press.

Police confirmed that Hamdhoon and Naseer were questioned in relation to reports they had written on the police investigation into the use of false Facebook accounts to coerce hundreds of Maldivians into recording nude videos and pictures of themselves – material that would later be used to blackmail them.

The case has already led to the arrest of 14 people across the country. Hundreds of photos and videos claimed to be taken from a number of fake Facebook profiles were said to have been found by law enforcement officials on hard drives and laptops of the arrested suspects that were then alleged to have been used to blackmail figures from across Maldivian society, including government officials, MPs and senior businessmen.

It was these files and the case surrounding them that formed the basis of an article that Haveeru published on February 22 regarding the possible identity of those involved, which police have said was the basis for the questioning of the two journalists.

A media officer for the Maldives Police Service said they were unable to confirm what sort of questions the journalists were asked and if they may be called in for further questioning at a later date.

However, Ahmed Zahir at the MJA questioned why the police needed to summon the journalists about a story and images already thought to be in the public domain.

“I don’t think this was simply a case of police asking journalists to help them with an enquiry,” he said. “I personally believe it is an attempt to censor and suppress the Maldives media, which has been free.”

Minivan News this week reported that police have said that they would potentially prosecute any figures found to be genuinely featured in the material accrued through the Facebook profiles if they contravened laws.

Police say they have already arrested 14 persons including a minor – reportedly a 17 year old girl – for alleged involvement in acquiring the nude pictures and videos through profiles thought to have used the same image of a young blonde woman wearing sunglasses.

The false profiles – the front for an alleged blackmailing ring that netted incriminating photos of those who signed up – had netted a combined 2500 ‘friends’, most of them Maldivian, making the scope of the blackmail operation potentially massive.

The ring is expected to pose a “security risk” for politicians in the Maldives, according to Deputy Speaker of the People’s Majlis Ahmed Nazim told Minivan News, but was unlikely to lead to parliamentary censorship in the future on how the internet was used.

Police have not yet confirmed whether any figures thought to be featured in or affected by the Facebook scam may be serving MPs or government figures.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police decline to reveal identities of political figures involved in Facebook nude photo blackmail case

Police have declined to reveal the identities of political figures and government officials involved in the nude photography obtained by Facebook blackmailers.

The blackmailers used a Facebook account pretending to be an attractive blonde woman, and reportedly coerced hundreds of Maldivians to record their nude videos and pictures through their webcam and send it to them. After receiving the pictures and videos, they used them to blackmail the persons involved – many of them believed to be national politicians and senior government officials.

Police discovered explicit videos and pictures of hundreds of Maldivians on the hard drives and laptops of 14 people arrested in connection with the crime earlier this week.

”We are still investigating the case, but so far we cannot reveal the identities of any of those involved,” said a police spokesperson. ”We cannot confirm any names, just not yet. We will be revealing more information later.”

Daily newspaper Haveeru interviewed a person who claimed to have seen some of the material, who said that MPs belonging to both the opposition and the ruling party had fallen for the scam, as well as prominent businessmen and “national figures”.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said that none of the events reportedly depict “would have taken place inside the President’s office.”

”We don’t have Facebook, MSN or any other social networks on any computer of the President’s Office,” Zuhair said. ”It is nothing to do with the government or the president.”

Zuhair added that “for instance there might be torturers among people who build streets, but that does not mean all the street builders are torturers.”

Meanwhile, the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has sent a letter to the President’s Office, calling the president to remove government officials involved in the case from their posts ”or if you do not remove them from their posts it will be taken as meaning that you are supporting such activities.”

The DQP called on the government to take action against those involved “as soon as possible.”

Several blogs have speculated on the names of those caught up in the scandal, but police would not confirm the identities of those compromised.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police arrest 14 in massive Facebook nude photo blackmail ring

Police have arrested 14 persons including a minor for alleged involvement in blackmailing people after acquiring nude pictures and videos of them through Facebook.

”We have been investigating this issue since it came to light two months ago,” said police in a statement. ”Police conducted a special operation from February 13-20, 2011 in an effort to stop this crime, present the criminals before the court.”

Police said 10 of the 14 alleged perpetrators were arrested in Addu while four of them, including a 17 year old minor, were caught in Male’. According to police all persons arrested in Addu were between the age of 21-26.

Police discovered “hundreds of nude pictures and videos of Maldivians” in the laptops and external hard drives of those arrested, police said.

”While some of the pictures were taken of people while drunk, other pictures were taken without the consent of the persons.”

Police also said they had noticed that some people in the videos were performing explicit acts in the presence of minors, and warned that this “could affect the future and discipline of the minors”.

”The case relates to the rights of many citizens and affects the social policy of the Maldives, and may also affect the safety of the society,” said police.

Information gathered so far had revealed that people from all levels of Maldivian society were affected, “including underage females juveniles, young women, professional and semi-professional persons, and people of both genders working all across the country.”

Police appealed to Maldivians to be more careful approving friendships with strangers on social networks.

”It is notable that underage females are victims in this crime, and that a minor was arrested as a suspect. It is necessary that parents monitor the work of minors when they use internet and social networks,” said police.

Two Facebook profiles identified as being involved in the ring where those belonging to ‘Lyshiaa Limanom’ and ‘Angelic Sharrown’. Both of these profiles show the same picture of a young blonde woman wearing sunglasses, and each profile has between 1200-1300 Facebook ‘friends’ – most of them Maldivian.

Police warned Maldivians to be careful of receiving invitations and messages from these profiles.

Social media adoption in the Maldives is prodigious, particularly Facebook, with almost a third of the country’s population signed up to the service. According to statistics from Facebook, the Maldives has 89,460 registered users – two thirds of whom are male. Almost half Maldivian Facebook users are aged under 18.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Grenade cache found on Dhaalu Atoll

Children playing on the uninhabited island of Kadimma in Dhaalu Atoll yesterday discovered a cache of explosives hidden in the bushes.

Police and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) have not revealed the nature of the explosives, however images in local media revealed the ordinance to be grenades of modern appearance.

The children were attending a picnic on the island when the discovery was made. Following the find, a second group of islanders told radio station SunFM that they found eight such explosives on the island and threw them away.

Police Sergent Abdul Muhusin said the MNDF was investigating the case and that police could not comment on the issue.

MNDF Major Abdul Raheem told SunFM that an expert was now investigating the explosives.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Court releases murder suspect citing lack of cooperation from Health Ministry

The Criminal Court today released Ibrahim Shahum Adam, a 19 year-old who was arrested in August last year for allegedly murdering 17 year-old Mohamed Hussain.

Adam was presented to the Criminal Court with a police request to extend the period of detention, but Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed noted that the Criminal Court had already extended the detention of Shahum by six months for investigation which had not yet been concluded.

Police blamed the Health Ministry, and told the judge that the investigation had not concluded ministry had not responded to a letter police sent in August 2010 requesting the medical report on the death of Mohamed Hussain.

Judge Abdulla told police this was not reasonable grounds to keep a person in detention.

He said he regretted that police and government authorities were not cooperating to make the society peaceful and noted that the court alone could not succeed in this, according to a report in newspaper Haveeru.

The paper also quoted Judge Abdulla as saying that ”keeping a person in detention for not getting a response to one letter sent to the health ministry is too much.”

Judge Abdulla also acknowledged that police were not getting the cooperation from government authorities.

Hussain was stabbed in the leg near the Social Centre in Maafannu, Male’.

He was admitted to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital and treated for more than eight hours in the Intensive Care Unit, but the knife severed a major artery and despite an emergency blood transfusion he died the following morning at 6:15am.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that police had always fully cooperated with the courts to the fullest extent possible.

”We cannot do or say anything regarding something beyond our borders,” said Shiyam. ”It is the responsibility of the police to obey the courts and we will follow the court’s orders.”

State Health mMinister Abdul Baary Yousuf told Minivan News that he  had no information regarding the issue and referred to the Permanent Secretary Geela Ali. Ali is currently outside the country.

Judge Abdulla Mohamed did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)