Tag: police

Violent assaults in Malé reprisals by gangs, reveals chief inspector

Police intelligence suggests that the spate of violent assaults in Malé during the past six days were gang reprisals “caused by a disturbance between two groups”, Chief Inspector Abdulla Satheeh said at a press briefing yesterday.

Three suspects were arrested in connection with two assaults and police are searching for two further suspects, he said.

All three suspects had prior criminal records, he added.

The cycle of violence began on Monday night (July 28) when an 18-year-old man was stabbed in the back in the Henveiru ward.

On the following night, two men were stabbed in Hulhumalé and a 23-year-old woman was stabbed in the back in Malé.

All five were hospitalised. Also on Tuesday night (July 29), a pedestrian was mugged and assaulted.

A 34-year-old was meanwhile stabbed to death on the island of Thulusdhoo in Kaafu atoll on Thursday night (July 31).

On the same night, a 22-year-old was stabbed in the neck in a narrow alley in the Manchangoalhi ward of Malé.

While a 19-year-old was knifed in the Henveiru Park on Friday night (August 1), a pair of 18-year-olds were stabbed on Saturday morning in the same area in broad daylight.

One of the victims – Mohamed Mazin, from Noonu Miladhoo – died while undergoing treatment at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) on Saturday night (August 2).

Mazin was the 31st murder victim in the Maldives since 2007.

Chief Inspector Satheeh, head of the serious and organised crime department, said yesterday that no arrests had been made yet in connection with the murder.

Chief Inspector Ismail Naveen meanwhile told reporters that police have confiscated a number of weapons from areas in the capital where gangs congregate, including the Henveiru Park, the park on Alifkilegefaanu Magu, and the open area near the State Trading Organisation’s main office.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Stabbing victim dies in hospital as police make 12 arrests

An 18-year-old victim of a violent assault in Malé died last night while undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit in the second fatal stabbing in the space of three days.

Local media identified the deceased as Mohamed Mazin, from Dhiggaamaage in Noonu Miladhoo, who was residing in Henveiru Shaiban in the capital.

Mazin was assaulted on Saturday morning around 9:50am near the Henveiru Park along with Ali Arif, 18, also from H. Shaiban.

Police said Mazin had three stab wounds on his back while Arif was stabbed in the ribcage.

A 34-year-old was also stabbed to death on the island of Thulusdhoo in Kaafu atoll on Thursday night (July 31).

Police have since arrested 12 suspects in connection with the spate of violent assaults in the capital during the past six days.

Police revealed yesterday that the Criminal Court has extended the remand detention of three suspects while the other nine remained in temporary police custody as of last night.

“Efforts are also underway to locate other suspects,” according to police media.

The serious and organised crime department was collecting CCTV camera footage from across the capital, police said, and searching for suspects based on information relayed by members of the public.

The stabbing of the 18-year-old pair yesterday brought the number of victims of violent crimes during the past week to nine.

On the previous night (August 1), a 19-year-old was stabbed near the Henveiru Park and hospitalised after sustaining head injuries.

Last week, four men and a woman were assaulted in separate incidents. While one man was mugged in the Maafanu ward, two men were stabbed in Hulhumalé, a woman was stabbed in the back in the Galolhu ward, and a fourth victim was stabbed in the Henveiru ward.

Prior to the recent fatal stabbings, there had been 29 murders in the Maldives since 2007.

Meanwhile, the Jumhooree Party has called on the government to take necessary measures to curb the escalating violence while former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom called for “murderers” to be “caught and punished according to law.”

“Where are the killers of Afrashim, Muheeth, policeman Haleem and others?” the leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives tweeted.

Task force

Police meanwhile revealed that Chief Inspector Ibrahim Naveen, head of the central operations command, together with commanders of relevant departments have commenced “special efforts” to curb the spike in violent crime “on the advice of Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed.”

A task force committee has been formed to supervise and oversee the efforts, police said.

Similar task forces were set up in recent years to combat gang violence in the capital, most recently in May 2013 after four stabbings in 48 hours.

As part of the present efforts, police have been stopping and frisking individuals and searching residences based on intelligence information.

Police are also searching for individuals “suspected of committing violent assault with sharp objects”.

Moreover, the Specialist Operations (SO) department along with Malé City police and traffic police would be questioning and frisking individuals “loitering on the streets with no purpose” both after midnight and during the day.

Security operations have also been stepped up in Vilimalé and Hulhumalé.

As police were finding it hard to identify suspects due to “difficulties” obtaining information from eyewitnesses at crime scenes, police appealed for cooperation from members of the public.

“Those who share such information with police will receive due protection,” police assured.

A report by the Asia Foundation in late 2012 found that political and corporate elites financed gangs “to carry out a range of illegal activities that serve their political or business interests”.

Police statistics meanwhile reveal 95 incidents of assault reported in July alone, bringing the total number of assault cases to 697 this year. Approximately 1,500 cases of assault are reported annually in the Maldives, of which a majority occurs in Malé.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Three more hospitalised as wave of attacks continues

Three more stabbings have occurred in the capital Malé within the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of attacks in the past week to nine.

Two men – both aged 18-years-old – were attacked in broad daylight in the area near Henveiru Park this morning, while a 19-year-old was attacked in the same area yesterday (August 1).

Those attacked this morning were treated at the nearby Senahiya military hospital before being transferred to ADK, while yesterday’s victim has been taken to IGMH.

Local media has identified the 18-year-olds as Ali Arif, from Henveiru Shaiban, and Mohamed Mazin, from Dhiggaamaage in Meemu Miladhoo. Mazin’s condition has been reported as serious.

The spate of attacks – which has included a fatal stabbing in Kaafu Thulusdhoo – has prompted the Jumhooree Party to call on authorities to end the spike in violence that has accompanied the end of Ramadan.

There have been no reports of arrests being made in connection with any of this week’s incidents, barring the murder in Thulusdhoo, for which a local man has handed himself  in – having his detention period extended yesterday.

Earlier this week four men and a woman were attacked in separate incidents on Monday and Tuesday. One man was mugged in Maafannu ward,  two men were stabbed in Hulhumalé, a woman was stabbed in Galolhu ward, and another man was stabbed – again, in the Henveiru area of Malé.

The weeks prior to Ramadan saw a number of abductions and assaults in the capital which victims claimed to have been related to their alleged association with online secularist movements.

While an online group associating itself with these earlier incidents had promised a post-Ramadan resumption of campaigning against those perceived to be mocking Islam, police have not said whether they believe this week’s attacks are linked to one another.

Police have today said that the serious and organised crime department is investigating this week’s attacks. Malé’s gang culture has been well-documented in recent years, with leading politicians and businessmen often closely associated with organised criminals.

Police statistics reveal 95 incidents of assault reported in July alone. The number brings up the total number of assault cases to 697 this year. Approximately 1500 cases of assault are reported annually in the Maldives, of which a majority occur in Malé.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Detention extended for suspect in Thulusdhoo murder

The Criminal Court yesterday extended the remand detention of Mohamed Niyaz – the chief suspect in the murder of a 34-year-old in the island of Thulusdhoo last week – to 15 days, reports local media.

Niyaz was taken into custody on Thursday night (July 31) after he confessed to stabbing Ali Shiham to death earlier that night.

In addition to a knife recovered from the crime scene, police also reportedly searched the suspect’s residence in his presence and collected evidence.

Niyaz reportedly has a criminal record for theft, assault and drug abuse.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police appeal for assistance in search for missing 15-year-old

Police have appealed for public assistance in locating a 15-year-old girl who went missing in the capital Malé on July 27.

Mariyam Nafha Nasir, of Huvadhumaage from Thaa Vilufushi, was reported missing by her family on the morning on July 30. She was last seen at her residence in Malé wearing a burqa, a white top, and ice blue jeans.

She was described as slender with black eyes.

Police have urged anyone with information of the girl to call the hotline number 3322111, the emergency number 911, or the family and child protection department at 9790163.


Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Four injured in collision of ferry and speedboat

Four people were injured in accident at sea after a ferry en route from Malé to Hulhumalé collided with a speedboat last night.

Police said the incident was reported at about 9pm. The collision occurred while the ferry was entering the Hulhumalé harbour and the speedboat was leaving, police explained.

Motorcycles on the ferry were also damaged in the accident, police said.

None of the four individuals injured in the accident suffered serious injuries and were treated at the ADK hospital.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

JSC denies reports of ethical misconduct case against new prosecutor general

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has denied allegations made by opposition-aligned private broadcaster Raajje TV that it had found Criminal Court Judge Muhthaz Muhsin guilty of ethical misconduct.

Muhsin was approved as the new prosecutor general by parliament yesterday following his nomination to the vacant post by President Abdulla Yameen and sworn in at a ceremony this morning.

In a press release on Sunday (July 20), the judicial watchdog body said it had not “concluded any complaints” against Muhsin.

“[T]he news reported by Raajje.mv and Raajje TV claiming that [Muhsin] has been found guilty of ethical misconduct is false and the commission regrets with concern that such false information has been disseminated,” the press release stated.

The JSC explained that complaints against judges are scrutinised by the commission’s complaints and investigation section, which submits a report to the ten-member commission for consideration.

The commission then decides to take disciplinary action following further investigation by a subcommittee after offering a 30-day period for the accused judge to respond.

JSC Spokesperson Hassan Zaheen told Minivan News yesterday that the commission could not confirm whether a complaint had been filed against a specific judge.

The JSC provides information to the public once an investigation has been completed and a decision made regarding a complaint, he explained.

“Anyone can submit complaints about judges, even if a person did not like the way a judge was walking on the street for example,” he said.

Judges “could not live in this country” if the JSC revealed to the media when a complaint has been lodged against a judge, Zaheen suggested.

Leaked report

Raajje TV reported this week that an investigative report into a complaint filed against Muhsin in April 2010 was completed on May 30 this year.

The leaked report showed that a subcommittee found Muhsin had violated ethical standards by allegedly attempting to prevent a suspect arrested for theft from being held in remand detention.

Muhsin allegedly called the investigating police officer and Criminal Court judges at the behest of the suspect’s wife.

In testimony to the JSC subcommittee, the police officer allegedly said that Muhsin had called him asking whether the suspect was in police custody and had sought information regarding the case.

The television station has stood by its news report, noting that the leaked investigation report bore the JSC letterhead.

Raajje TV also noted that opposition Maldivian Democratic Party MPs who evaluated Muhsin’s nomination in the parliament oversight committee had requested that information of the complaint be sought from the JSC.

However, the pro-government majority on the independent institutions oversight committee rejected the proposal.

Meanwhile, according to local media, the case in question involved former Chief Inspector Mirfath Faiz, whose husband was arrested for stealing a mobile phone in 2010.

In a Civil Court case over her subsequent dismissal from the Maldives Police Service, the Attorney General’s Office informed the court that Faiz had called Muhsin to save her husband from being taken to the Criminal Court to have his detention extended .

“Politicised”

The JSC is tasked by the constitution with investigating complaints and taking disciplinary action against judges.

According to the JSC’s annual report for 2013, the commission has yet to conclude investigations or make a decision regarding 106 cases, which were pending at the end of last year, including one complaint dating back to 2008 and four complaints from 2009.

Other pending cases included 13 complaints from 2010, 16 complaints from 2011, 17 complaints from 2012 and 55 complaints from 2013.

The complaints against judges involved allegations of bias, lack of integrity, behavioural misconduct, discrimination, incompetence, procedural violations, inordinate delays in concluding cases, and breach of law and the constitution.

In a comprehensive report on the Maldivian judiciary released in May 2013, UN Special Rapporteur for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, noted that there was consensus on the view that the current composition of the JSC was “inadequate and politicised”.

“Because of this politicisation, the commission has allegedly been subjected to all sorts of external influence and has consequently been unable to function properly,” she wrote.

Moreover, the lack of transparency regarding proceedings over complaints, the criteria used to initiate proceedings, and JSC decisions “nourishes serious allegations of selectivity in the management of complaints.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Turkish citizen arrested with gun parts released

A Turkish national arrested earlier this month for being in possession of gun parts has been released after police decided that the parts could not have formed a working weapon.

Local media also reported that the Prosecutor General’s Office had decided the individual could not be prosecuted. Haveeru believes the man was released upon expiry of his detention period last Sunday (July 13th).

The arrest was made at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport after parts of a gun were found in his luggage.

According to local media, the man was a crew member of a Turkish oil tanker and was among nine crew members attempting to leave via INIA.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police to dispose of over 700 impounded vehicles

Police have announced today that 722 vehicles impounded for illegal parking will be disposed of as no one has come forward to claim ownership of the vehicles.

Police are working with the Malé City Council to transport the vehicles to the Thilafushi industrial island, police said.

According to a statement by the police, the vehicles to be destroyed includes 156 motorcycles, 560 bicycles, and six four-wheelers.

Police noted that only five vehicles were reclaimed by their owners from the tow yard following the last announcement.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)