President warns all guilty of embezzlement will be arrested

President Mohamed Nasheed has warned that all those who had misappropriated or embezzled state funds and resources will be arrested and brought to justice. The President gave the warning while speaking at a general assembly of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held on Friday night.

Speaking at the meeting the President said the people wants a just government free of corruption and that this was exactly the thinking of MDP as such all those who had embezzled state funds and resources would be arrested and brought to justice.

“There is no room for any doubt; by the will of Almighty, we will establish democratic good governance, we will find out those who had misappropriated people’s money, the country’s money and the country’s rich resources and we will give them their due punishment” he said. He went on to say “I would like say this very clearly, that in the near future, we will have to arrest some people, for a short time or short period”.

Referring to party members, the President said this should not be matter that should raise their spirits and joy but should be a matter we should be expressing sadness.

“We are very said, but I will have to arrest these people, it’s very sad and this not funny but I will do this “President said. He said it was going to be a difficult decision and that he would do it for the country’s future.

“I will do it, I will arrest them, it is going to be one of the saddest things that I would ever do, it is going to be a difficult thing to do but when the time comes I will do it” he said.

Calling on party members to remain calm, he reminded them that the country was not his own and that those who had betrayed the country would be punished.

The President also said that he was fully aware of how things happen in this country. He said he is fully conversant with the constitution, each and every island, the reefs and the lagoons, the government and the powers of the government and even how to use them. He said, God willing, he would bring the perpetrators to justice, in a fair and just manner without any spirit of revenge.

He said the biggest responsibility of the Auditor General to audit how the state funds and resources were used; to determine whether any funds or resources were embezzled and to prevent such embezzlements. He also said all of the 26 reports published by the Auditor General have been sent to Maldives Police Services for action.

The President further said the objective in seeking out those who had embezzled state funds and resources was to prevent the present government and its officials resorting to such action. He said unless these people are brought to justice, his government would not be safe.

The President also said his government cannot be toppled and that even though his party did not win parliamentary seats in the recent elections, his party, MDP, was still the biggest and most influential political movement in the country.

Leading Disorientation Grazes Irresponsible Leadership

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) in disarray with the government, the president of the commission has said that he do not believe a leadership responsible if it over powers president appointed leaders. He said it is not in the best interest of responsibility to bring a header to a leader.

Speaking at Dharubaaruge conference room Fansavees, the president of the Civil Service Commission Dr. Latheef said, the government order to Atolls not to delegate jobs to responsible heads, they are assigned by the CSC they must continue their duty and called the heads that it is an onus for them to be responsible in their jobs which is not given to a person but a job to a CSC post.

Dr. Latheef’s comments came hours after three provincial state ministers apparently alleged the Civil Service Commission (CSC) of failing to implement government policy, and lodged a case against commission members with allegations against the independent commission, saying they are reluctance to cooperate with the government, at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The three state ministers are Farooq Mohamed Hassan, Mohamed Naeem and Ahmed Mujuthaba they accused the CSC with incorrect citation of the constitution for the commission's interest, working against the elected government and undermining the presidential authorities.

ACC Reports North East Male’ Area Being Used Irregularly

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has ordered the North Eastern reclaimed area of Male’ given to Majeedhiyyaa School for its Diamond Jubilee Carnival to be cleared and use the area that would benefit the government. It said the area under the Male’ Municipality, had been used with irregularity as the area being leased to earn money after the time period given to build a carnival in the picturesque public area.

The ACC says the lucrative plot of land in the most dashing area of Male’ was being used to lease with stalls without proper management. It said the area can be used for more beneficial purposes and renting the stalls from there in a proper management will benefit and earn more revenue to the government.

Some of the stalls in the area were failed to pay the rent with repeated reminders and some areas given to hold live shows were also remain unpaid for longer than expected periods that the ACC says is a concern. Some of the cases were already sent to the Attorney General to issue Court orders to clear the irregularly administered stalls and areas.

The ACC says the whole area must be cleared with prior notice to leasing parties and called the government to come up with a better plan to rent and earn revenue as the piece of land become lucrative.

Opposition now sympathetic - Mausoom

Opposition politicians are now sympathetic to government actions following the ruling party’s defeat in the recent parliamentary elections held on 9 May, Secretary General of Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) Abdulla Mausoom has said.

General of the main opposition party said after the crushing defeat of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the recent parliamentary elections President Nasheed was making mistake after mistake and that government actions have even aroused sympathy from opposition politicians.

“After the defeat at the elections , the government actions aroused sympathy from opposition politicians, President Nasheed is making mistake after mistake, for example, after the elections, Civil Service Commission has turned bad, he has formed a Presidential Committee to challenge independent institutions” Mausoom said.

He further said after the elections, President Nasheed is afraid of the DRP PA coalition and that DRP PA’s coalition’s success was a success of all Maldivian people. He also said DRP would work according to the pulse of the people and the country in the best interests of the country and the people.

DRP to propose Shahid as Majlis Speaker, Nazim as Deputy Speaker

The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has decided to propose the name of the party’s council member Abdulla Shahid as the Speaker for the People’s Majlis. The country’s biggest opposition party will also propose the name of People’s Alliance’s Vice President Ahmed Nazim for the post of the Deputy Speaker. The People’s Majlis is to convene for its first sitting on 28th of this month.

The DRP made the decision at the first meeting of their parliamentary group held last Wednesday. The spokesperson for the party, Mohamed Saleem, said that the names were endorsed unanimously by the party‘s parliamentary group and that Nazim’s name was proposed as the Deputy Speaker because the PA had formed a coalition with the DRP during the parliamentary elections held on 9 May. He further said that the party’s Deputy Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali had been endorsed unanimously as the DRP’s parliamentary group leader at the meeting.

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had also taken part in the DRP’s first parliamentary group meeting.

The DRP/PA coalition had won 35 seats during the parliamentary elections, with DRP taking 28 seats and PA securing seven.

ACC orders MTDC to cancel Ulhigamu resort bid

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has ordered the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to cancel its bid to purchase Rf50 million worth of construction materials for the Ulhigamu resort being developed by the corporation. The ACC cited irregularities with the bid and failure to comply with government bidding procedures as the reason for the cancellation.

According to the statement issued by the ACC last Thursday, the invitation for bids for the project had not been submitted to the Tender Evaluation Board. Although it was indicated that the bid invitations had been sent under MTCC’s “Procurement and Policies Direct Invitation”, the statement said that there were no documents from the company’s directors’ board that indicated that the bid had been made under ‘extenuating circumstances”.

The Anti-Corruption Committee also noted that while the bid had been submitted in violation of government procedures, it also violated the MTDC’s own Procurement and Contracting Policy and Procurement Manual.

All contracts worth more than Rf1.5 million (US$117,000) are required to be screened by the Finance Ministry’s Tender Evaluation Board.

Police has no business interfering – Resort Staff

Police has no business interfering in the peaceful demonstrations going on at Dhonveli Resort (Chaya Island), Ibrahim Moosa, a Maldivian employed at the resort has said.

Moosa Ibrahim providing information to Miadhu Daily said the objective of the peaceful demonstrations is to protect the rights of the employees working on the resort and that almost 75 percent of the employees are taking part in the demonstrations.

“Police has no business interfering in the demonstrations, we have not caused any unrest, we have not entered guest area, we have not caused damage to property, and even before any unrest occurred police has involved themselves and met several workers separately; it is not their business to obtain written statements from workers agreeing to report back to work; management is very clear, they have said despite demonstrations there will be no change and that even the government cannot do anything” Ibrahim said.

Demonstrators have said that the demonstrations will continue till the management submits a written statement agreeing to honor their demands. The demands that the management submits a written statement expressing that they will full comply and respect the Maldives Employment Act; acknowledge that current HR Manager is guilty of racial discrimination; and a promise to wipe out the ongoing practice of racial discrimination.

Ibrahim informed that demonstrations are being participated by Maldivians, Indians and Bangladeshi workers at the resort. He said while the resort employs over 300 staff only 56 are Maldivians. He emphasized that all employees with the exception of Sri Lankans are being treated poorly in direct violation of the provisions of Employment Act.

He also said some of the foreign workers taking part in the demonstrations have been informed to return to work or else they will be fired.

Maldives Police Services reports that officers were dispatched to investigate claims that some of the demonstrators were intimidating and pressuring workers not to report to work. Police Services further confirmed police presence on the island.