Raajje News Blog

#Maldives: Four senior members of former President Nasheed's administration were culpable is a MRF 24 million scam, Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim told the Parliamentary subcommittee on Finance yesterday. The individuals named included two high profile members of former President Nasheed's party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who had been given political posts when Nasheed came into power. They were Ahmed Assad, the younger brother of Nasheed's Housing Minister and close confidante Aslam and Abdulla Shahid (pic), one of the 11 involved in the November 3rd coup led by Nasheed's uncle Sikka Ahmed Ismail Maniku in 1988. Assad had filled the post of State Minister of Finance in Nasheed's government, while Abdulla Shahid had been State Minister of Defence. The scam involved embezzlement of state funds amounting to MRF 24 million, paid from the Ministry of Finance and Treasury for falsified invoices for services claimed to have been rendered to the National Centre fo...

Male’, Maldives. Maldivians are increasingly disillusioned and bitter as they and their country people are ridiculed and torn apart by international media following the resignation of Mohamed Nasheed as Maldives President after the Canarygate Scandal. The Canarygate Scandal is the final series of events leading to the end of the three years of Nasheed’s rule on February 7th 2012, a rule earmarked by abuse of executive powers, obstruction of justice, contempt and lockdown of the Legislature and Judiciary, corruption, graft and nepotism. Canarygate gets its name from Nasheed's family name, Canary, so named because of the countless evidence of nepotism, cronyism and corruption during his rule. While western commentators and the neighbourhood strongman India dismiss Canarygate as just a political fisticuff between Nasheed and his predecessor Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Maldivians call upon the new Government for justice, for the Maldivian people and for democracy in Maldives. They ask ...

Male', Maldives. ex-President Mohamed Nasheed's party, Maldives Democratic Party, is internally divided on the issue of Nasheed's proposed candidacy for presidential elections. Last night, Nasheed announced he would contest on the party's ticket in an election in two months. He assured his party that Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid would hold presidential elections in the next two month. Eyewitnesses report that, immediately after the meeting, there was a heated argument between top MDP officials, the subject being the validity of Nasheed's candidacy on the party ticket in a presidential elections. Some members of the top leadership have presidential aspirations themselves, so they want a primary first, the sources said. The MDP Party by-laws state that the party will elect its presidential candidate through a primary, and some MPs are insisting that this be followed, said one source. Others say that Nasheed has failed the party and should not be given the c...

Male', Maldives. Health Minister Aminath Jameel is facing corruption and fraud charges by the Auditor General. The 2010 Audit of the Health Ministry found that over 14.9 million MRF worth of medical equipment had been bought from cronies in violation of budgetary regulations. In some cases, full payment was made by the Health Ministry in advance of receiving goods. This too is a violation of budgetary regulations. Minister Aminath Jameel is the wife of Sikka Mohamed Ismail Maniku (Kuda Sikka), whose elder brother, Sikka Ahmed Ismail Maniku (Bodu Sikka) is married to President Nasheed’s father’s sister. Bodu Sikka is the convicted terrorist leader of the November 3rd coup attempt against the then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Aminath Jameel is one of many members of Nasheed's family who have been given positions of power since he became President. Aminath Jameel was reportedly selected by Nasheed's family to be his running mate in 2008. However, hard core MDP activis...

Male', Maldives. 8.00 pm. Hundreds of Maldivian civilians continue their peaceful protest against President Nasheed and his corrupt government, in Victory Square, in the capital Male'. The Civic Coalition which began at 4pm this afternoon continues to gain in strength and numbers as more and more civilians continue to join the gathering. President Nasheed's attempt to counter the gathering with a gathering of MDP hardliners and family members failed miserably as it failed to draw enough numbers to the meeting point, Artificial Beach. The meeting petered out after Nasheed's address to his followers in which he lambasted the civil leaders and participants at the Civic Coalition Protest. Nasheed quickly dispersed his faithful and disappeared amidst heavy military security. Speculation is rife in the capital that the military will come out in strength if the protest should continue late into the night. In a joint press conference with Police Commissioner Ahmed Fasee...