Raajje News Blog

#Maldives: Parliament's Finance Committee told media last week that the Auditor General had reported over 55 million MRF state funds had been given by former President Mohamed Nasheed's government to various parties without receiving any services or goods in return for the payment. The three cases totalling over 55 million MRF involved high ranking officials of Nasheed's party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). One case involved Mrf 12.7 million paid by the Health Ministry to a company called F-Tech Solutions to supply medical supplies. F-Tech Solutions was owned by high ranking MDP officials, one of its Director's and Human Resources Officer being a Ms. Fathimath Shiuna (aka "Prepaid Shiuna), a leading MDP activist working closely with Nasheed. "Prepaid" Shiuna is reported to be Nasheed's personal secretary. Another F-Tech director, Riluwan Shareef, is also a leading member of the MDP. 'Prepaid' Shiuna also fronted a successful bid for a ...

#Maldives: Pressure is mounting on President Mohamed Waheed to implement the death penalty in Maldives as the murder toll in 2012 rose to nine murders earlier this month. A youth group yesterday announced a rally calling for death penalty, scheduled for the afternoon of Friday 19th October. Calls for death penalty increased exponentially after the brutal murder of Member of Parliament and moderate Muslim scholar Dr. Afraasheem Ali on October 2, 2012. Social media report that support for death penalty in Maldives rose to 64% of Maldivians on social media in the wake of Dr. Afraasheem's brutal murder. The list of murder victims is 18 victims long, from 2007 onwards (pic). Of these 11 murders were committed on the capital Male', the rest on various islands. Fourteen of the 18 murder victims were young adults between 15 and 35 years of age. MP Dr. Afraasheem's murder comes within three months of the brutal murder and decapitation of famous lawyer Ahmed Najeeb, also on th...

#Maldives: The current political struggle in the Maldives has been grossly oversimplified and wrongly reported by some foreign powers and foreign media as a military coup that put back in power the government of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. An unbiased look at the facts of the popular non-violent struggle that led to the transfer of power on February 7th shows that it was neither a coup, nor was it an illegal ouster of a "democratic" leader. Rather, it reveals the triumph of the Maldivian people over an increasingly dictatorial leader, Mohamed Nasheed, a man who had repeatedly violated the Constitution. Fortunately for the citizens of this highly vulnerable country, their struggle has been recognized by the world powers that continue to keep a close eye on the Maldives, namely India and the United States. Nasheed's sudden claim of a military coup, over 24 hours after his public resignation telecast on all local television stations, has been blamed on his close...

#Maldives: Over a week after the brutal murder of MP and moderate Muslim scholar Dr. Afraasheem Ali, authorities have yet to reveal details of the murder and subsequent arrests. Police confirmed three days ago that a fifth arrest had been made in relation to the murder. Social media report that all five are activists from former President Mohamed Nasheed's party Maldivian Democratic Party. Dr. Afraasheem was a public target of Nasheed and his Maldivian Democratic Party, which went so far as to call him "Dr. Ibilis" (translation, "Dr. Devil). The MDP's hate speech against Dr. Afraasheem was part of their campaign against the country's Judiciary and the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). The murder victim, at one time the JSC's Vice-President, was accused by Nasheed and his party as a "traitor" who violated the Constitution and appointed a "corrupt" Judiciary consisting of "his friends". The campaign against Dr. Afraasheem ...

#Maldives: Nine days after MP and moderate Muslim scholar Dr. Afraasheem Ali was found brutally murdered, authorities have yet to charge any person(s) with the crime. Five arrests were made swiftly, the first within hours of the discovery of the murder victim, reportedly with blood on his clothes and body. All five are identified by social media to be activists of former President Mohamed Nasheed's party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). At the last police briefing on the murder, 3 days ago, police said they had made huge gains in the investigation and were trying to obtain foreign assistance to complete the investigation. Police refused to comment further on the investigation, saying that this may compromise the investigation. The police reticence on the investigation have fuelled public and social media commentary that the secrecy is due to identified links of the murder to known politicians. Of 5 detained individuals, the sole female detainee Mariyam Naifa, is reported to ha...

#Maldives: The Supreme Court and the Judicial Services Commission have called upon the Parliament to stop interference in the judiciary and to respect the separation of powers as guaranteed under the constitution. The call was made in response to the decision by the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Government to summon before it the three Majistrates on the bench to hear the criminal case against former President Mohamed Nasheed. The summons to the Majistrates was for 3.45 on 9th October, just 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time for the first hearing in Nasheed's criminal trial. The Parliamentary Subcommittee has a majority of MPs belonging to Nasheed's party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and is headed by MDP MP Ali Waheed. Nasheed was arrested earlier today upon a court warrant issued due to Nasheed's violation of two court orders in the case. In separate press statements both the Supreme Court and the Judicial Services Commission provide legal and constitutional gr...

#Maldives: Following ex-President Mohamed Nasheed's arrest, the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Government has summoned the three majistrates concerned to appear before it tomorrow at 3.45 pm. Nasheed's trial hearing is scheduled for 4 pm. Nasheed's party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) holds a majority on the Parliamentary Subcommittee which is headeed by an MDP MP Ali Waheed (MP for Thoddoo constituency). Nasheed's arrest today was in conjunction by an arrest warrant issued by the court in conjunction with his non-appearance in court in the criminal case brought against him by the country's independent Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizzu. The charges are raised for the military arrest and detention of a judge upon Nasheed's orders while he was President of the country. Nasheed had violated two court orders in the case and departed on campiagn publicly declaring that the court was illegal and that he would not obey any summons by it. MP Ali Waheed has told me...

#Maldives: The police arrest of former President Mohamed Nasheed this morning shocked the populace of this tiny nation, as it did those interested parties outside the country. The news spread through local and international media like wildfire. Nasheed was arrested this morning by Maldives Police Service while he was campaigning in the southern island of Fares-Maathoda. MPS say the arrest was in response to a court order, ordering MPS to produce Nasheed before court tomorrow to face criminal charges lodged by the country's independent Prosecutor General, for Nasheed's actions in the arrest and detention of the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court in January 2012. Nasheed's party, Maldivian Democratic Party, has called for nation-wide protests against the arrest. Nasheed and his supporters, local and international, allege that the case is "politically motivated" in an attempt to prevent him contesting the presidential elections in 2013. The courts have three cases a...

Male', Maldives. Almost two months since the transfer of power between President Mohamed Waheed and his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed, and democracy in Maldives shows little sign of getting back on track. The Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary continue to be in limbo with respect to the major issues confronting the country and the people today. The legitimacy of the Executive is disputed by the largest party in the country, Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party. The majority of international spectators appear to support the MDP stand, with powerful players such as the EU calling for an early election to install a 'legitimate' government. MDP, in its traditional style, have taken their demands for an early election to the streets, with continued widespread protests which the Waheed government have been unable to control. Prolonged and violent confrontations between protestors and security forces are radicalizing increasing numbers of youth. The police use of ...