Tag: police

Police to investigate vandalism of Supreme Court

Police have launched an investigation into the last week’s vandalism of the Supreme Court, the former palace of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, after black oil was sprayed onto  the walls of the building,

The vandalism occurred during a week of opposition-led protests, triggered by a disagreement with the government over the process of endorsing the reappointment of cabinet ministers. The Supreme Court last week ordered the parliament to delay the cabinet endorsement until the court delivers a ruling.

The court also issued a statement calling the act “disgraceful”, claiming that it “tarnishes the reputation of the court.”

The Supreme Court has now filed the case with police. Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said police were investigating the matter, but that so far nobody had been arrested in connection with the crime.

The court also said the official name board of the court was also sprayed with the oil.

DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom said DRP’s protests were not an objection to the ruling of the Supreme Court.

“We protested to express our concern over the actions of the government for disrespecting the constitution and deliberately attempting to delay the cabinet endorsement,’’ said Mausoom.

Mausoom said DRP’s protest last week was concluded “precisely on the decided time”, and that it had no connection with the act of vandalism.

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19 year-old alleges torture in police custody

A 19 year-old has alleged that he was arbitrarily arrested near his home on Monday night and tortured in police custody.

Ali Shuaib, 19, showed Minivan News bruises and swelling on his leg, hand and nose.

“Police arrested me while I was waiting near my house to have a chat with my friend,’’ he explained. “While waiting there, before the police squad arrived, we saw a group of people fleeing; we did not knew what was going on and we did not pay much attention.’’

Shuaib claimed a squad of police officers arrived after a short while and told him not to move.

“Unaware of the situation, I stayed calm, they came and checked me, told me I was clear and had nothing with me,’’ he said. “But they said their superiors had ordered them to detain me for 23 hours and they handcuffed me and took me to Galolhu Police Station first.’’

At the Galolhu Police Station, he continued, police officers filled his detention form and transferred him to the ‘Atholhuvehi’ custodial in Male’.

‘’While I was there, a police lance corporal came and asked ‘what the hell I was doing there’. His voice was aggressive and he spoke rudely,’’ he claimed. “I told him it was none of his business because police custodial is not his property.’’

After some verbal sparring, Shuaib claimed that the police officer hit him in the face.

“I hit back and fought in my defence,” he said. “A while later the whole duty shift came and attacked me, they hit me in the chest and back with their ankles, hit my foot with a tin trash can.

“Then when I was almost unconscious they put me in solitary confinement, handcuffed in a cross position with both hands and feet locked together. They even stepped on my back and pressed hard while I was kept in that position.”

The next duty shift came in after about two hours, he continued, and removed the handcuffs and transferred Shuaib to another cell after offering him water and medication.

“When I was released from the handcuffs I could hardly breathe; the next duty shift came and gave me water and poured water on my head and kept me on a chair till I felt better,’’ he said.

Shuaib was released without being presented to court.

“It is very common now, police arrest any person they wish and keep them in custody for 23 hours,” he claimed.

According to the Constitution of the Maldives, any person detained should be presented to court within 24 hours of arrest.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News today that if such a case was filed with the police, “police will investigate the case applying professional standards and take necessary action.’’

Shiyam said if Shuaib was not confident with the police he could file the case with the Police Integrity Commission. No case had been lodged, he said.

Shuaib was recently arrested on suspicion of crimes including murder, robbery and assault, but was released without charge.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said that custodial torture is “strictly prohibited” by the president.

“It is not something that should happen, and there are many ways [Shuaib] could pursue the case,” Zuhair said. “He could file the case at the Human Rights Commission, and Police Integrity Commission, and the case would be investigated.’’

On July 15, police and the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) arrested almost 60 people, including minors, in a joint special operation to curb escalating gang violence in the capital.

Many of those who were arrested  in the special operation alleged that they were mistreated and abused during their arrest and detention.

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Three police officers injured in drug bust

Three police officers were injured in an special operation conducted last night to arrest an alleged drug dealer.

“Police went to Henveiru Kahafathi with a court warrant after receiving information that suspected narcotics were hidden inside the house,’’ said Sub-Inspector Mohamed Dawood. “A person named Mohamed Ahmed attempted to obstruct the duty of the police and attacked three police officers using two knives.”

The acting head of the Drug Enforcement Department (DED) said that police discovered 18 bullet-sized packets of suspected heroin worth of Rf65,000 (US$5,058) hidden inside the bathroom of the house.

‘’I presume he attacked the police to protect his illegal drugs,’’ he added.

The suspect trafficker is now in police custody.

‘’In another operation conducted this week, police seized eight cases of vodka inside a dhoni (traditional boat) docked at Male’,” he said. “Police checked the dhoni in the presence of an expat working in the Dhoni and he is now under arrest.’’

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Police conclude investigation into Reeko Moosa alcohol bust, send case to PG

Police have concluded an investigation into an incident in which 168 bottles of  whiskey and menthol gin were discovered in a car registered to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary group leader and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik.

Following the incident in February, Moosa claimed his driver was bribed to put “cheap alcohol” into his car in an attempt to frame him for the crime. The MP was in Singapore when the driver was arrested, the same day controversial liquor licensing regulations were unveiled by the Ministry of Economic Development.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the police would not declare whether Moosa had any connection with the bottles, and instead sent the case to the Prosecutor General’s (PG) office.

‘’We  cannot declare whether Moosa should stand trial in this case,” Shiyam said. “The Prosecutor General’s Office will look into the matter and decide.”

He declined to disclose further information of the case.

Deputy Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Following the incident in February, Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News he had spoken with police about the incident “and it looks like a set up.”

“Whoever brought that booze out from their warehouse knew it would be confiscated. The brands are not what you would call hot sellers – it was menthol gin and watered-down whiskey.”

Zuhair told Minivan News at the time that he suspected expatriates had been bribed “and were connected to certain political opponents of Moosa Manik, owing to the fact he is currently in Singapore.”

DRP Deputy leader Ibrahim Shareef told Minivan News that he was “not surprised” at the case, “but I doubt it will go very far.”

In September Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Noonu Atoll wing leader Mohamed Abbas was arrested and charged for possession of a bottle suspected to contain alcohol.

Online newspaper based on Noonu Atoll, Velidhoo Online (VO), reported that three bottles of alcohol were discovered inside Abbas’s backpack, discovered by police when the three were checked on their arrival from the Ranveli Resort.

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Two passengers injured in ferry accident

A 4 year-old girl and her mother were injured in a ferry accident this morning, reports police.

Police reported that the ferry collided with a cargo dhoni that was entering Male’ harbor.

The girl and her mother wre taken to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital for treatment and now have been discharged, according to police.

Police reported that the two boats were also damaged during the incident.

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Three children lost on a canoe

Three children from Hulhudhufaaru in Raa Atoll have been lost in a canoe, reports police.

Police reported that the three kids went out to the ocean on a canoe yesterday and there was as yet no sign of them.

There were 14 year-old boy and two nine year-old boys aboard the canoe when it left, according to police.

Police and Maldives National Defence Force are searching the area for the missing children.

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35 year-old woman found dead in Male’ swimming track

Police discovered the body of a 35-year-old woman at the track swimming area in Male’ last night.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News that the body was identified and handed over to the family last night.

“According to what we found out, she went out searching for her child,” he said. “It is too early to determine whether the death was a suicide attempt.”

Police went to the area after alarmed swimmers reported a dead body floating at the track.

“We didn’t see any suspicious evidence to indicate that it was a suicide attempt,” said Shiyam.

Those at the swimming track when the body was discovered said that the woman’ slipper was found outside the swimming area and that there were no visible external injuries, and speculated that the woman drowned accidentally.

In May, an 11-year-old boy drowned in the track swimming area after he became entangled in a piece of rope underwater.

The track area is one of the only two swimming areas in the capital, which is used by elderly people as well as children.

There are currently no life guards or other safety measures in the track swimming area.

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Journalist reports DhiFM to police, claiming management leaked source’s identity

Former DhiFM journalist Qufthag Ajeer has reported the private radio station to police, alleging senior management deliberately leaked the source of his story concerning mistreated employees at the Hulhule’ Island Hotel (HIH).

Ajeel, who recently resigned over the issue,  has sent a letter to Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh requesting a “fair investigation” of the case.

“The Hulhule Island Hotel threatened to take legal action against DhiFM if the source of the report was not revealed,” said Ajeer. “DhiFM then revealed the hidden source to the Hulhule Island Hotel without my knowledge.”

Ajeer alleged that DhiFM management searched through his personal folder at work to obtain the source’s identity before revealing it to HIH without his consent, or that of the source.

Article 28 of the constitution guarantees absolute protection of journalists from being forced to reveal sources: “No person shall be compelled to disclose the source of any information that is espoused, disseminated or published by that person.”

Such so-called ‘shield laws’ are intended to increase the accountability of businesses, organisations and governments by promoting ‘whistle-blowing’, ensuring protection of sources if a media organisation is taken to court and preventing journalists from being held in contempt of court for refusing to reveal them. They do not protect against the pursuit of defamation cases.

As a consequence of DhiFM’s action, Ajeer said that the Hulhule Island Hotel has now warned the source that he will be dismissed for disclosing the information.

Editor of DhiFM Masoodh Hilmy told Minivan News that Ajeer was “misled”.

“I can confidentially say that no person at DhiFM revealed the source of the article,” said Hilmy. “But the Hulhule Island Hotel did request us to reveal the source and said they take would legal action against us.”

Hilmy said DhiFM replied to the Hulhule Island Hotel saying that the source would only be revealed if the court ordered the news organisation to do so.

“The Hulhule Island Hotel did not threaten us, but demanded an apology claiming the article contained false allegations,” he added.

President of the Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) Ahmed Hiriga Zahir, compared the matter to Watergate and told Minivan News that journalists had a responsibility to confide sources with their editors.

However if the institution then revealed the identity of a source to a third party, “I don’t think this is ethical.”

“They should respect sources. Even the constitution guarantees the protection of sources for a journalist.”

Hiriga suggested that some senior journalists and editorial leadership in the country did not have this background in the principles of journalism- “it may be they don’t know what they are doing,” he said.

Ajeer was among six DhiFM journalists who launched a protest outside the media company’s offices yesterday, alleging unfair dismissal and claiming editorial pressure to produce negative coverage of the government.

The Media Council of the Maldives meanwhile issued a statement claiming that the protesting DhiFM journalists were a “serious obstacle” to the press freedom in the country, and that disagreements among reporters about newsroom policy should be resolved internally.

Ajeer pointed out that the Media Council consisted of “two senior DhiFM officials trying to defend DhiFM.”

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Police arrest prominent drug dealer

The Drug Enforcement Department (DED) of the Maldives Police Service have arrested a man they claim is a prominent drug dealer in Male’.

Head of the DED, Superintendent of Police Mohamed Jinah identified the person as 40 year old Ibrahim Shameem, who was arrested at Azum in the Henveiru district of Male’.

”He sells a illegal drugs across a wide area,” alleged Jinah. ”He was arrested last week inside Heniveru Azum, with other two persons also suspected to be involved with his operation.”

Jinah identified the other two persons as Ali Nazih, 29 and Ibrahim Shafeeu, 27.

”Shameem was arrested in August 2008 with suspected narcotics and his trial was also conducted in the court,” he said. ”But at this stage we do not know whether he was convicted or if the case is ongoing.

He said large amount of heroin and hash oil was found with Shameem.

”Last week 23 persons were arrested in different cases related to illegal drugs, 36 cases of which were sent to Prosecutor General’s office,” he added.

Last week police seized 1.6 kilograms of drugs from inside a house in Maafannu.

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