Man stabbed to death near West Park restaurant

A group of men stabbed a man to death near West Park restaurant this afternoon.

Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said the victim was attacked at about 4:15pm while he was on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, the outer ring road of Male’.

”His body was taken to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) at 4:15pm,” Haneef said. ”His body was carried to the hospital by a witness and a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officer who was in the area.”

Police identified the victim as Ali Shifan of Fairy Corner in Maafannu Ward.

”His age is not verified yet,” he said. ”According to witnesses, a group of men on a GN model motorbike came and attacked the victim.”

He said the number of assailants had not also been verified yet.

”It could be one, two or even four,” he said.

IGMH Spokesperson Zeenath Ali told Minivan News that she could only confirm the death of the person.

”We do not have clear details at the moment,” she said. ”But he was dead when he was brought to the hospital.”

She said the hospital could not verify the age of the victim.

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Police officer and family attacked in Gemanafushi

A group of two men have attacked a police officer and his two brothers on the island of Gemanafushi in Gaafu Alifu Atoll.

According to police, last night at about 7:00pm two men attacked the police officer after he tried to stop the motorbike they were riding, allegedly because he was riding too fast and the islanders had complained about it.

Police said the two men assaulted the police officer and fled, and an hour later stabbed the officer’s younger brother in the head and another of his brothers in the stomach.

The victim stabbed in the head was 19 years-old and the other was 24 years-old, according to police.

Police said three persons have been arrested in connection with the case.

Gemanafushi Island Council President Asim Mohamed told Minivan News that the police officer tried to stop two persons that were speeding on a motorbike.

‘’They attacked the police officer when he stopped them and islanders gathered to the area and controlled the fight,’’ Asim said. ‘’Later the police officer’s brothers went to confront the persons that attacked the police officer, that’s when they were injured.’’

He said he did not know whether the attack on police officer was politically motivated.

‘’But they both are Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters,’’ he claimed.

Asim said the victim stabbed in the stomach was in a serious condition and that his appendix had to be removed.

There has been a growing animosity between security forces and MDP supporters, following the role of the police in the ousting of former President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7. Tensions escalated last week after a raid on the MDP protest camp near the tsunami monument memorial, in which several MDP supporters were injured. One supporter was taken to hospital after he was discovered injured amid the rocks that make up Male’s eastern sea wall.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam claimed the attack on Gemanafushi occurred due to “continued support and encouragement from political figures to attack police.”

Police are investigating the incident.

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Chamber of Commerce VP stabbed by two men on motorcycle

A pair of men have stabbed the Vice President of the Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MNCCI),  Ismail Asif, near private Radio Station SunFM.

Speaking to Minivan News from ADK Hospital, Asif said the two men came up on a motorbike and stabbed him twice in the back.

‘’They were two very young persons, they just stopped and stabbed me. I was shocked to see there was no fear on their face, they were not covering their faces or anything, I mean it was broad daylight,’’ Asif said. ‘’They did not say anything to me and I have not received any threats or warnings, so I do not what it is about.’’

Asif said the two men must have been following him for a long time, because he said he was not stabbed at a place he goes to regularly.

‘’I came out from a meeting at the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) and went to drop this friend and right before I turned to leave they came up and stabbed me,’’ he said, adding that it was a “complete shock”.

Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News that the incident was reported to police at about 3:25pm.

‘’We have information that Asif was attacked with a sharp object and that he is currently at the hospital,’’ he said, adding that investigation was ongoing and declining to provide further information.

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Criminal Court concludes hearing in ‘dangerous criminal’ suit

The Criminal Court has concluded hearings in a case concerning Aseel Ismail, who was listed by the police as a ‘Dangerous Criminal’.

In the suit, the Prosecutor General accused Aseel of attacking a man using a knife and disturbing the peace during an unlawful assembly.

Aseel was already sentenced to eight years after the Criminal Court found him guilty of attacking a man with a machete.

The media reported that the court had scheduled to hear the victim speak, but was unable to hear from him he had since died of his injuries.

The media reported that the judge will deliver a verdict in the next hearing.

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Murder suspect Shahum sentenced one year for assault

The Criminal Court has sentenced 20 year-old Ibrahim Shahum Adam, a suspect in two murder cases, to one year imprisonment after the court found him guilty of assault and battery, reports local media.

Shahum was found guilty of assaulting a classmate while he was at a teashop in the Henveiru district of Male’.

In court, the victim claimed that Shahum attacked him when he refused to have tea with Shahum, and also claimed that Shahum used a wooden bar to attack him.

The victim also said Shahum was studying with him at an Imam training course and that he had to drop out of the course due to disturbance caused by Shahum.

Police have recently alleged that Shahum was involved in the gang attack on Ahusan Basheer, 21, who was murdered earlier this year near his house.

Police announced to the public that Shahum was being sought in addition to some other suspects,and sought information from the public knows as to his whereabouts.

Later police discovered him on an uninhabited island with other companions.

He was also arrested in connection with the death of a 16 year-old boy who was stabbed to death near Maaziya football ground.

Police arrested him in relation to that death and held him in detention for six months, but he was later released by the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed.

Judge Abdulla said at the time that Shahum had been kept in detention for six months for investigation and that no probable evidence had been brought against him to continue holding him in detention. He queried police as to why their investigation was not concluded after six months.

Police answered that they were unable to conclude the investigation as the Health Ministry had not provided the medical-legal report on the death of the 16 year-old boy.

The murder cases are ongoing.

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19 year-old stabbed, days after police said most dangerous nine criminals were detained

Unknown assailants stabbed a person in the Mahchangolhi ward of Male’ last night, three days after the Deputy Head of the police’s Serious and Organized Crime Department (SOC) Inspector Abdulla Nawaz told the press that the most dangerous criminals in Male’ had been detained.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the victim was attacked in Nikagasmagu of Mahchangolhi ward.

”His condition was not too serious,” Shiyam said. ”It is too early to say whether it was a gang fight.”

He said two men were arrested in connection to the case.

Only last week, a 25 year-old man identified as Ahmed Mirza died after he was attacked with iron bars and other weapons while he was sitting in the children’s park in Villingili.

Mirza was attacked after he reportedly made some comments about a girl.

Last Thursday, Inspector Nawaz informed the press that nine persons police believed to be dangerous criminals were now held in detention.

The nine persons Nawaz identified were: Ibrahim Shahum, Rilwan Faruhath, Ahmed Shiruhan, Abdulla Naseer, Ahmed Shareef, Mohamed Visham, Ibrahim Abdulla, Gassan Ali and his brother Hassan Ali.

Meanwhile, the parliament has commenced work to amend the Clemency Act to execute persons sentenced to death, while the Criminal Justice Procedure Bill was also presented to the parliament at the same time and is now currently at the committee stage.

In an effort to curb the rise in gang violence, President Mohamed Nasheed has formed a Crime Prevention Committee led by former Defense Minister Ameen Faisal.

So far the committee has held meetings with the Supreme Court and almost all concerned authorities, although it has yet to announce any progress.

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Under-aged girl arrested over alleged involvement in Basheer murder

An under-aged girl is being held in custody over suspicion of involvement in the murder earlier this month of Ahusan Basheer, police have said.

No further details were given regarding the female suspect other than that she is being held in custody over an alleged connection to the murder of Ahusan Basheer, 21, who was stabbed to death in the early hours of March 17 near Alikileygefaanu Magu, one of the main streets of the capital Male’.

Following a week-long manhunt, police arrested Ibrahim Shahum, 20, as the main suspect in the murder.  Shahum had recently been released by the Criminal Court after being kept in detention for six months on suspicion of stabbing a 17 year-old to death on July 30, 2010.

Head of the Maldive police Service’s Serious and Organized Crime Department (SOC) Abdul Nawaz confirmed that Ahusan’s murder case was still unresolved.

‘’We have only one under-aged person in connection to this case and the person is a female,’’ Nawaz said. ‘’We can’t provide further details of the case as it may compromise the investigation.’’

Special operations

Crime-Prevention Committee MeetingNawaz additionally claimed that special operations being conducted by police to curb gang violence in Male’ was working successfully.  He added that the intiative had led to the arrest of 155 people, the transfer of a further 21 suspects to house arrest and another 101 people being searched.  Additionally, 53 houses were checked and five vehicles were impounded.

Despite praising the initiatives, Nawaz appealed to the public to be more careful while carrying cash around the country, requesting those who need to transfer large amounts of money from one place to another to seek police assistance beforehand.

Meanwhile, the recently-formed National Crime Prevention Committee met members of the parliamentary security services committee yesterday to discuss immediate measures that could be taken to combat the rise in organised crime and gang-related violence.

As the required legislation would take longer to complete, the committee has reportedly decided to formulate regulations in collaboration with parliament to empower police to hold suspects in custody for longer periods.

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Chief Justice assures full cooperation to National Crime Prevention Committee

The National Crime Prevention Committee formed to curb the rise in gang violence in the Maldives has said it has met with Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz and other judges on the Supreme Court bench, who have said they will fully cooperate with the committee to control gang violence.

The Supreme Court said it will resolve the issue of cases left pending in the courts without trials being conducted, said the committee in a statement.

The Supreme Court also offered assurances that it would assist the committee in issues related to the judiciary, the President’s Office said it a statement.

‘’Discussions at the meeting held at the Supreme Court were mainly focused on the prosecution of crimes such as rape, fraud, theft, drug related violence and other serious criminal offences within the existing legal framework,’’ the President’s Office said. ‘’The Chief Justice and the Prosecutor General, who also attended the meeting, assured the Committee it was working swiftly to prosecute and deliver justice and to reduce crime rate and tolerance of criminal activity in society.’’

The Chief Justice said it was important for the committee to work closely with the police and requested public cooperation with the police in their effort to find and bring criminals to justice.

President Mohamed Nasheed formed the crime prevention committee to curb gang violence and gang related crimes in the Maldives two days ago.

The committee consists of National Security Advisor Ameen Faisal, Home Minister Hassan Afeef, Attorney General Abdulla Muiz, State Defence Minister Mohamed Muiz Adnan and Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz.

The President’s Office said that the committee had during their first meeting decided to establish a special task force to curb serious and organised crime.

The task force will be led by Maldives Police Service and will consist of officials from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS), Attorney General’s Office, Ministry of Education, Courts of law, Prosecutor General’s Office, Maldives Customs Service, Ministry of Health and Family, Ministry of Human Resources Youth and Sports, Immigration Department and officials from the Local Government Authority.

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Gang murders 21 year-old man near Alikileygefaanu Magu in Galolhu

A group of men stabbed a 21 year-old man to death last night near NC Park in the Galolhu district of Male’.

Police said the incident occurred around 3:30am in the morning in Alikileyegfaanu Magu. The victim was identified as Ahmed Basheer, 21, of  Hithadhoo in Addu Atoll.

”He was stabbed four times in the back and three times in the chest,” police said in a statement.

Local media has reported that Ibrahim Shahum, who was recently charged in a murder case and released by the court after being kept in detention for six months, was sought by the police in connection with the murder last night.

Police have asked the public to report sightings of Shahum to police, and also warned people not to confront him.

A person familiar with the case told Minivan News that the death was a result of gang rivalry last night occurred between two groups in Male’ located in Maafannu, and that Shahum was not affiliated with either of the groups.

Although Basheer’s house is in Galolhu near NC Park, he said, he was affiliated with persons living in Maafannu ward.

”He is not affiliated with persons nearby his house and they do not have issues with him,” he said. ”He was attacked in a confrontation that occurred between two groups in Maafannu.”

In an effort to reduce violence in the Maldives, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ahmed Rasheed has presented an amendment to the Clemency Act during last week Tuesday’s parliament session, requiring the death penalty to be administered where the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.

In 2010 the Criminal Court issued a death sentence to a person found guilty of murder.

In last year’s death penalty verdict, the judge referred to article 88[d] of the Constitution, which stated that cases of murder should be dealt accordingly to Islamic Shariah, and that persons found guilty of murder ”shall be executed” if no inheritor of the victim denies the murderer to be executed, as according to Islamic Shariah.

According to MP Rasheed’s proposed amendment, if the Supreme Court upholds a death penalty ruled by a lower court, or if the Supreme Court itself serves death penalty to a person, the death penalty shall be executed.

Rasheed said he felt he had to present the amendment because of the increase in assaults and murder cases, which had “forced the living to live amid fear and threats.”

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