Tag: police

Police launch investigation of Muleeage-MNDF protest

The Maldives Police Service has issued a statement saying it will investigate “serious crimes” committed during the protest outside the president’s residence, Muleeage, and MNDF headquarters late on Thursday night.

The police statement also condemned comments made by opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ali Waheed that police supported the protest, and accused him of “trying to take away the people’s trust in the police. Police will always be faithful to the government and fulfil their duty.”

The president’s press secretary, Mohamed Zuhair, said he believed Ali Waheed “may be right”.

“I believe the police force is largely composed of law abiding officers, but there is still a rogue element and this may be the element Ali Waheed is referring to,” Zuhair said.

“The [protest] coincided with the firing of several police including assistant commissioner Abdulla Riyaz,” he said.

“Not 24 hours after [the protest], police raided a premises (Marble apartments) where three state ministers were staying, after claims of a girl crying. They went through the apartments saying they were searching for forensic evidence that a girl had been raped. Three times they raided and the fourth time they came in plain clothes and were denied entry – I’m sure some of them were not comfortable with the recent changes in the Maldives and the fact that their former hero lost the election.”

Zuhair also claimed it “was within the resources of Riyaz to find out certain facts about the man who [allegedly] died in police custody, to try and rile up the crowd.”

“I suspect this was instigated [from within] the police. They were trying to make a similar situation to Evan Naseem.”

Riyaz was not responding to calls at time of press. Sub-inspector Ahmed Shiyam said police could not comment on the case during the investigation, but noted that the police operation to control the crowd had ultimately been successful “and police did not fail in any way.”

“People gathered at the artificial beach and proceeded to police headquarters,” Shiyam said. “Police tried to stop them but they broke police lines twice, before police reorganised and dispersed the crowd outside the president’s house.”

He noted that “senior parliament members broke police lines after police ordered them not to”, while in addition, “some people tried to enter the gate of MNDF headquarters, and MNDF has sent the case to the police. This is really serious to national security.”

DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf, who acknowledged himself as one of the protest’s leaders, questioned police support for the government.

“We are sure that 90 per cent of the police and MNDF do not support the government’s policy or the president,” he said, adding that the police statement sounded “very pressured”.

“Statements on DhiFM that the protest was trying to overthrow the government were just not true,” he said. “We try to control our protests and ask people to not attack the police and be nice. I’ve watched MDP’s protests for almost five years, and they are very violent and they attack police.”

Despite accusations to the contrary, the protesters outside Muleeage did not throw stones into the compound, Mahlouf said, “as there were no rocks in the area”.

He acknowledged that some protesters had thrown sand in the faces of police officers – Zuhair accused “opposition” parties of “employing Indian and Bangladeshi expatriates” to throw the sand.

“I also saw that on the video,” Mahlouf said. “I do not support that, it was not something nice. But I believe that happened after police fired tear gas, while the crowd was very angry.”

He said claims that the protesters had tried to gain entry to the MNDF base and the president’s residence were “a joke”.

“Nobody would have gone inside, for sure. I was one of the people leading the protest and there was no plan to go inside the MNDF headquarters or the president’s residence,” he said.

“Saying that the DRP was trying to enter the MNDF headquarters is a joke. I am still mentally fit and would not walk into the MNDF base with guns [pointed at me].”

Mahlouf insisted that the protest “wasn’t organised by us” and it “never got out of hand. I was very happy with the way the police and MNDF treated us. We didn’t do anything against the law; we can protest where we want without informing the government. They can’t override the constitution.

“It is sad that Mohamed Nasheed’s government is investigating a protest when he is the president who gave Maldivians the right to protest,” he added.

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Marble girls and bottle rumours ‘lies’, says state minister

State Minister for Economic Development Mohamed Adil Saleem has claimed that stories circulating about him trying to drunkenly rape two girls in a Marble apartment were both untrue and damaging to the girls concerned.

Newspaper Haveeru published a story claiming a leaked police report contained details about someone taking drugs inside Marble, and that on arrival police discovered Adil drunk with two girls, aged 21 and 20.

Police inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the police were called to Marble after they received a report that a girl was crying for help somewhere around Marble on Wednesday night, and discovered three empty bottles of alcohol in a dustbin on the sixth floor. Haveeru claimed that the leaked document said the bottles were found on the third floor, the same floor as Adil’s apartment.

Adil said he assisted police on the request of his brother, after they were called to Marble to investigate an incident.

”The police came and said they wanted to check Marble, and I opened all the apartments on each floor,” he said.

Adil said that the police asked to check his own apartment as well.

”I knew according to the law the police could not check my apartment without a court warrant, but since I have nothing to hide, I showed them my apartment,” he said.

He said both of the girls in his apartment were students, one of whom had been living with him for 11 years and the other the daughter of his father’s close friend.

”They both are like my family members,” Adil said.

“The police wanted to check their rooms. Rumours that they were wearing bikinis is a lie; one of them was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, the other was wearing her pyjamas,” he said.

Police checked the apartment thoroughly and left, he said, but returned four times.

“The third time police said they received information that somebody was using drugs in my apartment,” Adil said.

”I allowed them to check again, it was around 4:00am this time. They checked inside the washing machine, under the mattress, bedsheets, inside the sofa and inside shoes,” he said.

Adil claimed the police arrived again around 6:00am, but this time he denied them entry and asked them to wait outside while he called the police station.

“The police said that instead of a big crowd of police, they would be sending someone senior,” he said. That person came and looked around his apartment and left, Adil said.

He claims he did not know anything about the three empty bottles of alcohol until he was told about them by the building’s manager.

The stories about him drunk with two girls were untrue, he stressed.

”It is really sad that people spread these types of untrue rumors – what would the parents of the two girls think? How would they feel about this?” he asked.

President’s Office Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said he supported Adil and did not believe the rumours were true, and were a “political attack linked to Thursday night’s protest [outside Muleeage].”

DRP spokesman Ibrahim Shareef said as the matter was a police case the party would not comment.

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Boat capsizes in Hithadhoo

A 38 year-old man is being treated at Hithadhoo regional hospital after his row boat capsized and he swallowed a lot of seawater.

The incident occurred at the entrance to the Hithadhoo harbour at around 5.15 pm.

Police report that two men were on board the 15 foot boat when a large wave caused the boat to capsize.

Both men were rescued by a passing dhoni. Police report that man’s condition is now stable.

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Police find drugs hidden in motorbike shock absorbers

Police have arrested a pair of men in possession of two packets of suspected narcotics.

Police received reports that people were transporting drugs on a boat travelling from Male’ to islands in Huvadhoo Atoll.

Police from Gaaf Alifu Vilingili conducted an operation and found the drugs while the vessel was moored in the Gaafu Alifu Nilhandhoo harbor.

Police found the drugs hidden in the shock absorbers of a motorbike on the boat.

The two men arrested are Ziraaru Saeed, 26, Gaafu Alifu Dhandhoo, Hefinaaz and Shamoodh Adam, 26, of Unimaage of the same island.

The drug enforcement department and Vilingili police are investigating the case

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Police on defense over DhiFM coverage of Muleeage mob

Police have denied asking DhiFM to cease broadcasting live coverage of a protest that took place outside the president’s official residence on Thursday night, instead claiming officers requested the station stop airing interviews featuring people calling for the government to be toppled.

A large mob of protesters marched on Muleeage just before midnight, after rumours of a police death in custody circulated around a DRP rally being held at the artificial beach.

“People were already angry about the civil servant salary issue,” said DRP MP Ali Waheed, who joined the protest outside the president’s gate and was later hospitalised after he was hit in the head by a stone.

“This was not a planned protest,” he emphasised. “DRP MPs (including Ahmed Nihan and Ahmed Mahlouf) joined the protest on the way to the president’s residence because we feel very strongly about the issue.”

Police eventually dispersed the crowd using tear gas. Three people were arrested but were later released.

“We don’t care who was leading it or what the point was,” said Inspector Ahmed Shiyam, adding that despite the large number of people clamouring at the gates of Muleeage “at no time was security threatened. Police were backed up by the MNDF and very senior police [were in command].”

Several police were injured, he added, including one who was hit in the face by an object thrown from the crowd.

Shiyam explained that during the incident officers approached DhiFM and asked them to stop airing live interviews with people calling for others to join the protest and overthrow the government through violence.

“We sent officers to tell them, ‘please don’t do that’,” Shiyam said. “They misunderstood, and I called a senior member of DhiFM and managed to convince him.”

DhiFM CEO Maassoodh Hilmy said plain clothes police arrived at the studio at 1:51 on Friday morning, showed their idenification and demanded the station cease broadcasting.

“I said we were not stopping,” he said. “We had two reporters at Muleeage and they were calling out [what they were seeing].”

Shiyam said today that police had sent a letter of complaint alleging that DhiFM had overstepped its status as an observer by broadcasting “calls for violence”.

“That statement from police is not good. They are lying, which is very wrong,” said Hilmy.

The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) today issued a statement strongly condemning the police attempt to “shut down [DhiFM’s] transmission while it was carrying out the live coverage of the protest,” calling it “a flagrant violation of the independence of the media and the freedoms ascribed in the Constitution.”

“We note that police also forced other media personnel to stop covering the incident and leave the scene, which can only mean that this is a deliberate attempt by the government to influence media content and subsequently, public perception,” the MJA said, expressing further concern about the police comments regarding DhiFM’s conduct, “which seem to imply that DhiFM’s live coverage could amount to inciting more people to violence and that DhiFM carrying out its duty as a media could pose a national security risk.”

“We condemn such attacks on democracy and Constitutional freedoms and call on all authorities not to engage in such appalling action in the future.”

Legality

Independent MP and former Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed said neither police nor defence personnel were allowed to walk into a station and ask it to stop broadcasting.

“They were asked to either put the request in writing or say it live on radio. They refused and returned to the police station,” Nasheed said.

“The next day they sent a document with a police letterhead that was not signed [by the relevant authority], claiming that DhiFM took part in an unlawful gathering calling for the removal of the existing government – this is very strong language from the police.”

Nasheed said Maldives’ broadcasting legislation contained details for disciplinary action but was intentionally designed to include hurdles to make it difficult for the government to close a station.

“Broadcast licences are issued for a year and come with 100 points for every six months, much like a driving licence,” he explained.

“[In the event of a complaint] an independent content committee appointed by the information ministry will act like jury – if the majority agree a maximum of 10 points can be deducated for an offence, and to terminate a broadcast licence the committee must be unanimous.

“Only then can the information ministry ask police or defence to enforce the order on behalf of the committee.”

Nasheed noted that police appeared to be “now varying their story” by stating that their request was regarding certain interviews rather than the live broadcast itself.

Investigation

Police “strong denied” the rumour of a death in custody that triggered the protest, Shiyam said, identifying the subject as 32 year-old Mohamed Nooz of Gdh Thinadhoo.

Nooz was taken into police custody on Jan 15, Shiyam said, but was sent to hospital after he complained of “medical problems”.

“His family was informed and on the 26 Jan police heard his condition had become serious and that he had died that evening.”

Shiyam noted that no family members had filed a complaint about Nooz’s treatment by police, and that one family member had expressed concern that his death would “be used for political gain.”

Waheed said today that the DRP would be supporting an investigation into the matter after “the person who cleaned the body said he smelled something fishy about the case,” and expressed concern about what he claimed was police unwillingness to conduct an official autopsy. That person had gone to HRCM to make a complaint, he said. Waheed also noted the victim’s age as 24, differing from the police account.

He stressed he “was not saying people were killed in custody”, and added that the DRP “will never try to overthrow a legal government.”

“DRP MPs will only join reasonable protests,” he said, adding that he was not sure if similar incidents would occur.

“I wouldn’t know, that’s for the public to decide,” he said. “People are suffering from the reduced civil servant salaries and increased electricity prices, while President Nasheed is trying to take the tension out of these issues by focusing on global warming and the economic crisis.”

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Police testify against president’s office staff member over drugs charge

Two policewomen have testified in court against the deputy under secretary of the President’s Office, Aishath Eeman, after she was arrested on drugs related charge.

The police testified that Eeman refused to give them a urine sample when she was brought into the police station on suspected drug possession in December 2009.

Constable Mahdhoodhaa Saleem told the court that Eeman was requested to give a urine sample three different times, but she had refused.

Constable Thalia Ali also said she asked Eeman for a urine sample, and explained that the procedure was that the person would only give the sample if they wanted to.

When judge Abdulla Mohamed heard this, he said that giving the sample was a person’s own choice and that an accusation could’t be made just because someone refused to do something out of choice.

However the state prosecutor said that the judge had misunderstood, and that Constable Thaila had used the right of the police to request a urine sample.

Eeman’s defense team meanwhile said that Eeman could refuse giving a urine sample as part of her right to remain silent.

The policewomen’s testimony conflicted in the time Eeman was reportedly brought in. Constable Mahdhoodhaa said Eaman was brought to the station around 6:00pm in the evening, while Constable Thaila said Eeman was brought to the station between 9:00pm and 12:00pm.

Speaking on behalf of the president’s office, Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said Eeman was “technically on leave at the moment. We are providing legal assistance for her through the president’s office.”

Zuhair said the case was being conducted by the judicial system, “so even if the person is from the president’s office they must be investigated.”

The Deputy Prosecutor General Shameem said that despite the high profile of the defendant prosecutor general’s office was not giving the case any special attention and was treating it “like any other normal case.”

The trial is continuing.

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Six men attacked in Faumulaku, one killed

Six men have been injured in a fight between two groups in Gnaviyanni Faumulaku.

According to police, at around 9.30pm last night, six men standing by a house in the Dhoondigam ward were attacked by another group.

The six men were attacked with sharp objects, and after the altercation the group fled the scene.

The six are being treated at Faumulaku Atoll Hospital, and two have been transfered to the intensive care unit.

Haveeru has since reported that one of the injured men died while receiving treatment.

The Faumulaku police are now investigating the case to arrest posible suspects.

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Police hold awareness program in Hithadhoo

The Baa Thulhaadhoo Police Station and Thulhaadhoo Crime Prevention Committee held an awareness programme for the community of Baa Hithaadhoo, raising the issues of illegal drug use and child sexual abuse.

Police said a religious viewpoint was also given to further highlight the seriousness of these issues.

Six police from Baa Thulhaadhoo Police Station, 10 members of Thulhaadhoo Crime Prevention Committee, two teachers of Thulhaadhoo School and 27 students of Thulhaadhoo School took part in the programme.

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Serious accident in Thinadhoo

Two 19 year olds were seriously injured in an automobile accident in Gaaf Dhaalu Thinadhoo.

A car and motorcycle collided into each other and left both badly damaged, police report.

The accident happened on Aabaadhee Higun around 7:00 pm last night.

Both of the victims are receiving treatment at Thinadhoo Regional Hospital.

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