Tag: police

Senior UK politicians to be quizzed over Scottish Police College’s training of Maldives officers

Senior UK government figures including Foreign Secretary William Hague are to be quizzed by politicians over the role of a Scottish police college in training Maldivian officers accused of perpetrating human rights abuses in the country.

Following an investigation carried out by UK-based newspaper The Guardian, politicians at Westminster and the Scottish Parliament of Holyrood are to press government ministers on the Scottish Police College’s role in training Maldivian officers.

The Guardian has reported that the MPS stands accused of using “torture and sexual assault against detainees and acting against democracy activists and journalists” after the controversial transfer of power that occurred on February 7 this year.

Police authorities in the Maldives have played down the abuse allegations raised by a number of NGOs such as Amnesty International, questioning possible bias in the data gathered in their reports. The MPS has also said that the allegations of abuse did not reflect the international scope of training provided to officers in the country.

The UK-based newspaper’s investigation reported that at least 77 senior Maldives police officers and commanders – including the Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz – had been trained by the Scottish Police College, located in Fife.

Amnesty International, former senior Maldives officials and opposition activists said they had deep concerns about the UK’s links with the MPS after officers were accused of breaching human rights, the Guardian reported.

The Scottish Police College, which is reportedly earning significant sums of money through working with MPS officers, has an ongoing contract to train Maldives police officers on a diploma course for junior ranks and middle and senior rank officers.

Speaking to the Guardian, the MPS said that it took its obligations seriously, and that reforms recommended by British advisers, as well as consultants from Canada and Australia, were being implemented by the MPS.

MPS spokesman Superintendent Abdul Mannan told the Guardian: “On one hand calling for MPS to be more efficient in dealing with officers’ misconduct and violation of human rights, and on the other calling to suspend all the assistance MPS receives to achieve this, contradicts their [critics] known intention and their actions.”

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz was not responding to calls from Minivan News at the time of press.

Police Spokesman Hassan Haneef told Minivan News today that there was no link between the training local police officers received in Scotland and the allegations of abuses carried out by some of its officers.

“Our training is in accordance to regulation supplied from other countries all over the world, including the UK, Canada and Australia,” said Haneef.

The UK Foreign Office has meanwhile defended the UK’s record in the Maldives, but spoke of concern over the surge in violence since the ousting of Nasheed in February.

“We have serious concerns about allegations of police brutality in Maldives, especially in February 2012,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman told the Guardian.

“We have privately and publicly urged the Maldivian government to fully investigate all allegations and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. We have also called on all parties to ensure institutional reforms are put in place to consolidate democracy and further protect human rights in Maldives.

Farah Faizal, the former Maldives high commissioner to the UK, told the Guardian that close links between British police and the MPS had to be urgently reviewed.

“What I can categorically say is that [the training] doesn’t appear to be working,” she told the paper. “If you see the brutality which is going on in Maldives and the impunity with what’s happening, if these people are being trained by the Scottish police, it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money. It’s unacceptable.”

In November a three-man delegation from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) expressed concern over the failure to punish the police officers who used “excessive force” against MPs earlier this year.

Philippine Senator Francis Pangilinan from IPU’s Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians, speaking to members of the press, revealed: “The delegation is deeply concerned that the police officers who used excessive force against the members of parliament earlier this year have not yet been punished, and that Members of Parliament appear to remain subject to intimidation.

“The delegation points out that in several of the cases in the use of excessive police force, there is clear video evidence available which should have enabled the authorities to take effective and swift action. The delegation therefore calls on authorities to do everything possible to expedite their efforts to a successful conclusion,” Pangilinan said.

A Spokesperson from Scottish Police College at Fife told Minivan News that it would not be reviewing its training procedures, but would be taking guidance from the High Commission on whether its existing agreement with the MPS would continue.

“We are continuing conversations with the High Commission on the matter,” the spokesperson said.

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Police arrest nine in Male’ during 24-hour special operation

The Maldives Police Service has said nine individuals were arrested during a recent 24 hour special operation conducted to try and curb crime rates in Male’.

In a statement, police said that the special operation, designed to try and make the capital more peaceful, was conducted between December 15 to December 16 – leading to the arrest of the nine men for a number of different offences.

Authorities have said that 359 persons were questioned in the capital during the operation, while 13 body searches were conducted over the 24 hour period.

Police reported that one case of theft, one case of robbery, three road accidents, one drug related crime and other seven cases were reported while the operation was going on.

Another key focus of the special operation was said to involve ensuring vehicles were being operated according to local regulations, law enforcement officials have said.

According to police, vehicle check points were therefore established at different areas of Male’ during the operation. 383 vehicles were checked during the operation.

Police stated that officers have also questioned individuals and groups deemed to be roaming around the capital without any purpose during the operation, which was conducted between Male’ City Police, Specialist Operations [SO] and Traffic Police.

Police powers

On December 4, during a press conference to give details of the investigation in to the death of late MP and Religious Scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali, Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz called on parliament members to not hesitate in giving more powers to the police. Riyaz said at the time that such powers were required to curb growing criminal activities within Maldivian society.

“I know that members of the parliament are hesitant to grant more powers to the police because of the political views they hold. But we need stricter laws to stop such acts from happening. Hesitance to grant more powers isn’t a solution for police discrepancies. Powers should be granted and at the same time they can establish a proper accountability mechanism,” he said at the time.

The commissioner said that police would have “zero tolerance” towards criminals and would utilise all powers and resources at hand in preventing crimes.

“That means, we will not allow a drunkard to freely wander around the street. Police officers will question suspicious people on the road and they have been given the order to stop and search anyone who they feel is suspected of being a criminal or carrying out a crime,” he said.

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Police ask PG to press charges against motorists involved in Gasim’s death: no mention of police involvement

Police submitted a case to the Prosecutor General’s office on December, asking it to press charges against the motorist and the passenger on the speeding motorcycle involved in the death of bystander Abdulla Gasim Ibrahim on August 17.

In a press release issued on December 15, police stated that the persons alleged to have caused the death of Gasim were 21 year-old Ahmed Nadhee Saleem, of NooruhSabah on Gemanafushi in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll and an unnamed 17 year-old boy.

Although previous police accounts stated that the two persons had been speeding on a motorcycle after stealing a mobile phone from an expatriate, the latest press release adds that the motorcycle being driven by the two was also stolen property.

The statement reads: “The request to press charges against these two persons has been sent to the Prosecutor General with relation to the events of August 17, at a time of which day these persons stole a motorcycle parked in front of Twilight Rivery in Henveiru ward, drove it at very fast speeds, stole a Nokia mobile phone from an expatriate who was standing near what was formerly known as the Bond Street shop, ignored orders from police at the scene to stop, and continued speeding despite attempts by police officers to stop them, resulting in a collision with a parked motorcycle on Orchid Magu near the Justice Building, causing severe injury and the ensuing death of the motorist on the parked motorcycle.”

The statement makes no mention of the police officer who was shown in leaked CCTV footage of the incident to have struck the fleeing suspects with his baton, causing them to collide with Gasim.

Police cover-up

The leaked video of the incident, which has been making rounds on social media since the beginning of December, shows a policeman stepping in front of the speeding motorcycle and hitting the motorcyclist on the head with a baton.

The victim’s family has also previously written to the Police Integrity Commission alleging that there was police involvement in the death of Gasim, describing the event as was later publicly seen in the leaked video. The family has said that it has so far not received any official response from the commission.

Despite the video evidence, police are now pressing charges against the cyclist and the passenger, while no mention of police involvement which led to the death was mentioned in the press statement.

Police Media Official Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef was not responding to calls at the time of press.

Minivan News also tried contacting PIC President Abdulla Waheed, whose phone was switched off at the time of press.

PIC Director General Fathimath Sarira stated that the commission would be able to comment on the matter on Thursday, and that they had no comment for the time being.

On December 3, Sarira had confirmed that the commission was looking into the allegations of police involvement in the incident, stating that the ‘investigations are nearing conclusion’.

Meanwhile, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has submitted a motion to parliament, requesting the Committee on Oversight of the Executive review the case.

Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizzu was unable to speak to Minivan News today.

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) President Mariyam Azra was also not responding to calls, while HRCM Vice President Ahmed Tholal and member Jeehan Mahmood had their phones switched off.

Warning: Some viewers may find the following footage disturbing

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MDP forwards no-confidence motion against Home Minister

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has forwarded a no-confidence motion against Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel, for the second time.

This is the second time the MDP has submitted a no-confidence motion against the Home Minister. The last time the motion was submitted the MDP withdrew the motion for unexplained reasons.

A statement issued by the MDP today accused the Home Minister of failing to control civil peace and order in the country, which it said had led to the loss of eight lives.

The MDP further referred to an incident in which a man on a motorcycle was killed after a police officer struck a second motorcyclist with his baton, causing him to collide with the first.

Police at the time did not reveal the involvement of the police officer in the death of the bystander. Video footage of the incident was subsequently leaked to the media.

The MDP alleged that Home Minister Jameel had tried to cover up police involvement in the death.

The no-confidence motion was signed by 17 MDP MPs.

Last week the parliament tabled a no-confidence motion filed against Defence Minister Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim,despite a Supreme Court injunction ordering parliament to halt all pending no-confidence votes.

The People’s Majlis secretariat revealed that Defence Minister Nazim has been given the required 14-day notice and his ministry also duly informed by Speaker Abdulla Shahid.

A no-confidence motion against the President is also in the parliament awaiting scheduling.

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More than 150 searched in police special operation

Police stopped and searched 153 people during a 24-hour special operation launched on Saturday (December 15) to curb crime rates in the capital Male’.

Police said officers on patrol “questioned people out on the street late at night without a purpose” and monitored groups of people in various locations.

Article 47(a) of the constitution however states, “No person shall be subject to search or seizure unless there is reasonable cause.”

Police meanwhile said the operation is set to continue in the future to “make Male’ secure.”

At a press briefing in October, Assistant Commissioner of Police revealed that officers on patrol after midnight questioned 2,930 individuals in a few weeks and prepared their profiles.

The Head of Central Operations Command explained that police have been “questioning people awake and out on the street without a purpose after midnight” as part of the ongoing operation to curb crime in the capital.

Saudhi also claimed that the government’s decision to revoke licenses of businesses to operate 24-hours has led to a decrease in the crime rate.

In October, police requested the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) press criminal charges against a pair of 18 year-olds for refusing to submit to a search by officers on patrol.

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High Court supports lower court’s decision to extend detention of Abdulla Javid

The High Court has upheld a  Criminal Court order to extend the detention of Abdulla Javid, the son-in-law of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik.

The High Court’s ruling stated that Javid was arrested in connection with the murder of late MP and Religious Scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali, and that at police had a phone call recording as evidence to support their accusation against Javid.

The case was filed at the High Court by Javid claiming that the Criminal Court’s extension of detention order was unlawful, however,the High Court ruled that there was no reasonable ground so support this.

Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News that police policy when providing information about Dr Afrasheem’s death was to keep all information until the next press briefing.

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has claimed that the murder of MP for Ungoofaaru constituency Dr Afrasheem Ali was a well-planned murder and insisted it was politically motivated.

The Commissioner alleged that the assassins were offered MVR 4 million (US$260,000).

He said that 200 items were collected as forensic and digital evidence.

“Over 500 hours of CCTV footage have been analysed, more than 100 people have been interviewed and about 13,000 phone call recordings have been analysed out of which 12,000 were from one single tower,” Riyaz said.

Afrasheem was killed on October 1. His wife discovered the body lying on the staircase of their home.

Dr Afrasheem was elected to parliament in 2009 as a member of the then-opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP). Following the opposition’s split, Afrasheem sided with the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and faded into the political background.

Widely considered an Islamic moderate, Dr Afrasheem took outspoken and controversial positions on issues such as the permissibility of playing music, and praying next to the deceased.

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MDP requests parliament look into alleged police cover-up of bystander’s death

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) filed a motion Wednesday (December 12) asking parliament to look into the death of Abdulla Gasim Ibrahim, accusing the Maldives Police Service of a cover-up.

Leaked CCTV footage released in early December threw into dispute the official police account of 43-year-old Gasim’s death. Police had initially stated that he had died due to injuries caused in a motorcycle accident, while the footage appears to reveal that a police officer had some involvement in the incident.

In the footage, a police officer is seen attempting to stop a speeding motorcycle suspected of being used by thieves to flee a crime scene.  Using his baton, the officer in the footage appears to hit out at the vehicle’s driver, causing him to lose control of the bike that then collides with Gasim’s motorcycle.

The MDP has submitted a motion to the parliament asking the Committee on Oversight of the Executive to look into the matter, and hold those responsible accountable.

“The police have not shared details of the actual events with either the family or the public. The video footage that was leaked shows that things happened in a way absolutely contrary to the initial reports. That is why we have submitted the motion and asked the parliament to look into this and make the authorities answerable to this,” MDP MP Mohamed Aslam said.

The motion was submitted by Mohamed Aslam and supported by MPs Ilyas Labeeb and Mohamed Rasheed – all from the same party.

Police Integrity Commission (PIC) President Abdulla Waheed stated today that he was out of Male’ on an official trip and was unaware of case proceedings at the moment.

Meanwhile PIC Director General Fathimath Sarira, speaking to Minivan News on December 3, has stated that the commission had previously received the footage and an investigation was nearing the point of conclusion.

Gasim’s family has said they have received no updates to date on how the case was proceeding either from the PIC or the police.

“I don’t know what else we can do. [police] are elusive and very slow, which is why we keep calling back. All I want is justice,” Naseema Khaleel, Gasim’s wife previously stated.

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) Vice President Ahmed Tholal was not responding to calls at the time of press.

The MDP and former President Mohamed Nasheed had previously also released statements condemning the alleged cover-up of the incident, calling on Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz to take responsibility for the matter.

“I am shocked and appalled by the leaked video, which appears to show a policeman hitting a motorcyclist in the head with a baton, which led to the death of an innocent bystander,” Nasheed stated at the time.

“Under [President Mohamed] Waheed’s administration, we are seeing a return to the thuggish brutality of Maldives’ authoritarian past. I implore the international community to pressure the Waheed government to immediately and impartially investigate this case, to bring human rights abusers in the security forces to book, to cease its harassment of opposition members, and hold early elections so democracy can be restored.”

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Juvenile Court acquits two suspects arrested over Ahusan Basheer murder

The Juvenile Court has today ruled that two minors charged in connection with the murder of 21-year-old Ahusan Basheer are innocent, claiming the state had failed to produce enough evidence to prove their guilt.

A Juvenile Court Spokesperson today told Minivan News that the state produced five witnesses to the court against the accused.

‘’The five of them said they were not sure if the two minors accused were there at the scene of the incident,’’ the spokesperson said.  According to the Juvenile Court, the two minors presented were identified as a male and a female, though further identification could not be given for legal reasons.

‘’The state attorney told the Juvenile Court that the statement made by the witnesses conflicted with the statement they had previously gave to the police,’’ the Juvenile Court spokesperson said.  The court added that no other forensic or digital evidence had been produced by the prosecution.

Ahusan Basheer was stabbed to death on March 17 near his house. Police at the time identified Ibrahim Shahum and Ibrahim Shimaz as the main suspects in its investigation.

Their cases are proceeding in the Criminal Court, which has yet to reach a verdict.

Other attacks

Prior to the attack on Basheer, another 21-year-old male called Abdul Muheeth was also killed in Male’ after being stabbed on February 19.

In addition to these murders, a 16-year-old boy named Mohamed Arham was also found dead with multiple stab wounds on May 30, while controversial blogger and journalist Hilath Rasheed made a miraculous recovery from an attack in which his throat was slit by as yet unidentified assailants.

This year alone, several more victims – including expatriates – have been brutally injured or killed in what are suspected to have been gang-related attacks.

The spate of stabbings and murders have provoked pressures from the public to impose stricter punishments to the perpetrators. Families of the victims have both in court and through public platforms called for justice and the death penalty to be implemented to curb the increasing gang violence.

Though the Islamic Sharia and the penal code states death penalty as a punishment, it has not been executed for decades. Death penalty sentences are traditionally changed to life imprisonment at behest of the president.

The government has meanwhile said it will not hesitate to implement death sentences if the parliament approves it.

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Police send names of two suspects in Afrasheem murder case to PG’s Office

The Maldives Police Service has this week sent the case of two suspects arrested over the murder of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP and Religious Scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali to the Prosecutor General’s (PG’s) Office.

According to Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz’s twitter feed, files on the two suspects were sent to the PG’s Office yesterday.

The two suspects were later identified by the police as Hussain Humam Ahmed of Henveiru Lobby and Ali Shan of Henveiru Hicost.

Just last week, a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officer was also reported to have been arrested in connection with the Afrasheem investigation.  However, the police and MNDF have yet to officially confirm the reports.

The Maldives Police Service has said that current policy when providing information regarding the investigation of Dr Afrasheem was to withhold all details from media until  official press conferences on the case were held.

At the last conference held on December 4, Commissioner Riyaz said that the murder of  Dr Afrasheem was well-planned, insisting the attack was politically motivated and funded.

Riyaz alleged that assassins were thought to have been offered MVR 4 million (US$260,000) for the attack.

In a presentation at the time, the police commissioner claimed that 11 suspects had been arrested in connection to the case so far – although three were later released.

He said that 200 items had been collected by police for use as forensic and digital evidence.

“Over 500 hours of CCTV footage have been analysed, more than 100 people have been interviewed and about 13,000 phone call recordings have been analysed out of which 12,000 were from one single tower,” Riyaz claimed at the time.

Afrasheem was killed on October 1. His wife discovered his body lying on the staircase of their home.

Dr Afrasheem was elected to parliament in 2009 as a member of the then-opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP). Following a split within the former opposition party, Afrasheem sided with the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), which was established by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Widely considered in the country an Islamic moderate, Dr Afrasheem took outspoken and controversial positions on issues such as the permissibility of playing music, and praying next to the deceased.

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