Five candidates shortlisted for “DhiFM Personality of the Year”

Five candidates have been shortlisted for the “DhiFM Personality of the Year 2009” contest and voting is now open.

Twenty-two names were submitted by participants of the poll and the five candidates shortlisted for the final round by the DhiFM panel are President Mohamed Nasheed, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed, South Kulhudhuffushi atoll MP Mohamed Nasheed and IDP President Umar Naseer.

Voting via SMS will continue until 27 December 2009 and DhiFM has decided to update the results of the vote every 24 hours and make it available for the public. The results of the first 24 hours show that former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is in the lead with 3,392 of the 4,172 votes. President Mohamed Nasheed is in second place with 618 votes while IDP President Umar Naseer is in third place 83 votes. The candidate who gets the most votes will be declared as the “Personality of the Year” and each mobile number is eligible to vote only once.

According to DhiFM, everything about the contest will be handled by a panel of journalists.

Hulhudhoo group beats up Meedhoo man

A group of people from Seenu atoll Hulhudhoo beat up and injured a man from Seenu atoll Meedhoo on Tuesday night.

Around 7:00pm that night, a group of people armed with box-cutters and wooden clubs attacked 36-year-old Muthaalib Ibrahim Didi, of Matharesmaage. He was treated at the Hulhudhoo-Meedhoo Health Centre and has now been released. He had suffered various injuries in the assault, including slash wounds to his back and injuries to his head. According to health officials, Muthaalib had not suffered any serious injuries.

According to eyewitnesses, Muthaalib was assaulted while he was on the road called Lainoofarumagu. One eyewitness who wished to remain anonymous said that there had been around 12 attackers.

“The group arrived on motorcycles and attacked Muthaalib while he was on the road,” he said. “I have no idea why they attacked him though. He suffered several injuries to his head from the blows from the wooden clubs and his forehead was swollen.”

A Police team had been dispatched to the area shortly after the attack. According to the Addu Police Station, seven people had been arrested in connection. A Police official said that there were three underage boys among the people they had arrested in connection to the attack.

STELCO increases electricity prices in Malé region

The State Electric Company (STELCO) on Wednesday announced that they will increase their electricity fee in Malé, Hulhumalé, Villingilli and Thilafushi beginning on 1 November 2009.

The new tariffs, which are separated into five categories, were announced at a news conference held at TVM. Under the new tariffs, households will be charged Rf2.25 for 0-100 units, Rf2.50 for 101-300 units, Rf 2.95 for 301-500 units, Rf3.55 for 501-600 units and Rf3.85 for all units above 601. A different tariff was announced for businesses, government offices and other places.

STELCO said that they had considered the expenses of the company when formulating the new tariffs. The new tariff for small and medium businesses was formulated in a way that they wouldn’t have to raise prices of their products, STELCO officials said, adding that the Energy Authority was also consulted.

In addition to the increase in electricity fees, STELCO will also introduce a fuel surcharge, effective 1 November 2009. However, the STELCO officials said that the surcharge would only be levied if the price of a litre of diesel in Malé market went higher than Rf8. Rf0.03 per unit of electricity will be charged as a fuel surcharge for every Rf0.10 increased from a diesel litre.

Key drug dealer arrested in Fuvahmulah

One of the key drug dealers in Fuvahmulah, suspected of operating one of the largest illegal drugs network in the island, was arrested on Saturday night, the Maldives Police Service has said.

A Police official said that they had found a large amount of illegal drugs in his possession when he was arrested, but did not give any details. He said that the man was arrested during a special operation conducted in the island by a Police team from Malé and officers from the Fuvahmulah Police Station. The official refused to reveal any other information about the case as the investigation was still ongoing.

Police had arrested another key figure in the drugs business from the island earlier this month. Under the same operation, Police had arrested another man from Addu atoll believed to be one of the major drug dealers in the island.

Local man charged with murder of Bangladeshi acquitted

The Haa Dhaalu atoll Kumundhoo man charged with killing a Bangladeshi worker in Maldives, by hitting him over the head with a length of wood, was found not guilty by the Criminal Court last Thursday.

Ali Shuaib, of Raveena in Kumundhoo, was found not guilty because there had not been enough evidence to convict him. According to the charges against him, Shuaib had attacked the Bangladeshi man on 30 November, 2008. The expatriate worker had died on 29 December, 2008, while undergoing treatment for the injuries to his head.

The charges state that than an argument had erupted between Shuaib and some Bangladeshi on 30 November, and that Shuaib had attacked the Bangladeshi man as he was riding a bicycle down Fandiyaaru Magu that night. Shuaib had struck the man over the head with the length of wood causing severe injuries to his head. The Bangladeshi man had died while undergoing treatment for the injuries.

According to Haveeru sources, two people had testified at the trial.

President Nasheed speaks on importance of heritage protection

Protection of heritage is crucial for nation building, President Nasheed has said. He made the statement while speaking at the function held Saturday evening to inaugurate the “Kalaafaanu Memorial Project”.

He added that understanding, preserving and managing our heritage were essential for our efforts to build our nation.

In his speech, President Nasheed spoke on the life of Sultan Kalaafaanu and the historical significance of the manuscripts on Kalaafaanu. He said during the 400 years since the assassination of Sultan Kalaafaanu, his mausoleum in Hagngnaameedhoo has become a very important part of Maldivian life. He further said that the even though three dynasties ruled the Maldives after the Utheemu Dynasty, people’s respect for former kings did not change.

At the function, the President also launched a book on Sultan Kalaafaanu.

President Nasheed arrived in Malé on Sunday, after concluding his visit to Hagngnaameedhoo.

Adhaalath Party criticizes President Nasheed’s comments about penal code excluding death penalty, amputation

The Adhaalath Party has criticized President Mohamed Nasheed’s comments about excluding the death penalty and amputation from the revised penal code. President Nasheed made the comments during his weekly radio address to the nation last Friday morning.

At a rally held at Dharubaaruge by the Adhaalath Party, senior officials of the Party and religious scholars criticized President Nasheed for saying that he was hopeful the revised penal code would exclude the death penalty and amputation. Everyone who spoke at the rally said that it no one should be allowed to criticize, debate or alter the Islamic Sharia. They said that since the Sharia was God’s commandments, not even the President or People’s Majlis should have the power to alter to it. Speaking at the rally, Assadhullah Shafie said that it was the duty of all Maldivians to remove President Nasheed from power if he was against the death penalty and amputation.

On death penalty, the President said: “A fair, a very fair trial – in my view as fair as the justice delivered during the Prophetic era – must be ensured before taking a human life. I don’t believe that the Maldives’ judicial system has the capacity to meet all requirements for such a fair trial. Ultimately, the burden of pardoning or the burden of implementing death penalty is upon the President.”

During Friday’s radio address, President Nasheed had said that in his opinion it was unwise to make death penalty a codified punishment in law.

“I’m hopeful the penal code would be passed without offences punishable by death,” said the President.

With regard to amputation, the President said amputation as a penalty has never been the common practice in the Maldives. He said the consequences of the only two instances of implementing amputation in the past were negative and bad.

“I don’t think the penal code should include amputation as a penalty,” said the President.

Japanese tourist tested positive for Swine Flu in Maldives

A Japanese tourist who arrived in Maldives was tested positive for Swine Flu on Wednesday.

The Health Ministry said that the 26-year-old Japanese man had tested positive for H1N1 virus when he was tested at ADK Hospital after being detained at the airport when he exhibited symptoms of flu. He had first been screened for Influenza-A virus, and when the results were positive he had been tested for Swine Flu, the Health Ministry said. The man had arrived in Maldives on a Sri Lankan flight on Tuesday.

This is the first person tested positive for the disease in Maldives since testing for the virus became available locally. So far four people have tested positive for the disease in Maldives.

The Health Ministry said that the man had been placed in quarantine as soon as the results had shown he was positive for Swine Flu and that they would treat him quarantine for seven days. Those who had come into contact with him would also be tested for the disease, the Ministry said.

All four who had tested positive for the disease in Maldives have been released from quarantine after they made a full recovery in treatment. The Health Ministry said that more than 80 people had been tested for the Influenza-A virus in Maldives since 28 April this year.

Dhiraagu introduces Mobile Connect for instant access to internet from laptops

Dhiraagu has added a new service called Dhiraagu Mobile Connect to its growing list of services offered to its customers. The new service is a USB modem which gives customers the ability to access the Internet using their laptop computers, wherever they are.

According to a press release issued by the company, the new service had been introduced “in view of the increasing demand for unrestricted and convenient methods of communication.”

The Dhiraagu Mobile Connect USB modem is a network access terminal enabling customers to go online with greater freedom and ease, as they would with wireless service, the press release said.

“As long as they are within Dhiraagu mobile network service coverage, which includes all inhabited islands, industrial islands and resorts in the Maldives, our customers are assured of being reachable online at all times,” the press release said.

The Mobile Connect USB modem is available from Dhiraagu for Rf1,200 each, and the charges for Internet use through the modem is one laari per kilobyte.

Dhiraagu has recently completed a GPRS upgrade to enhance their customers’ mobile internet experience, the press release added.

Deported Sri Lankan man arrested again in Malé

A Sri Lankan man who had been deported from Maldives earlier for engaging in prostitution has been arrested in Malé again by the Police.

Speaking at press conference held at the Police Headquarters on Thursday, the Head of the Serious and Organized Crimes Unit Inspector Hamdhoon Rasheed said that the Sri Lankan man named Sisera Kumara Fernando had been deported last October for running a prostitution ring and had returned to Maldives using a false passport.

Police had got wind of his activities and arrested the pimp and his prostitute, a Sri Lankan woman, while they were inside the guesthouse at M. Imnaa Mariyaadh, Hamdhoon said.

Hamdhoon further said that they had arrested two Maldivians for sponsoring prostitutes and facilitating their stay in Maldives.