Delays in MP Faris Maumoon’s bribery trial will make it difficult to summon witnesses for hearings, the criminal court heard Thursday. His legal team is seeking to reject evidence, cancel charges and halt proceedings, with lawyer Maumoon Hameed submitting 23 different pre-trial motions. Seven are about rejecting evidence presented against the opposition lawmaker. His legal […]
President Abdulla Yameen underscored Tuesday night his campaign pitch of delivering island infrastructure and pursuing an ambitious development agenda. Speaking at a ruling party rally on the island of Meedhoo, Yameen said the dividing line in Maldivian politics at present is between “development and obstructing development”. “There are two ideologies in the Maldives now, that […]
The police have tagged seven suspected gang members after the High Court granted monitoring and control orders, but are refusing to say if electronic tagging is being used. “We have now implemented the order against seven people,” police spokesman Ahmed Shifan said, declining to give further details. Police have already said ‘MoniCon’ orders have been […]
Maldivian opposition parties are in talks about fielding a ‘unity’ candidate who is not a politician for next year’s election. Spokesman MP Ahmed Mahloof told the Maldives Independent that talks were already ongoing about who could represent the opposition. “I think at the moment we are discussing on the possibility of fielding a unified candidate […]
A top Maldives diplomat has highlighted the country’s work in tackling extremism, despite criticism of the government’s failure to deliver key elements in its fight against terrorism. The ambassador to India, Ahmed Mohamed, was speaking to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in a wide-ranging interview. He described the country’s borders as “quite […]
Reclaiming the Kulhudhufushi mangrove to develop an airport on the northern island will cause lasting damage, an Environmental Impact Assessment for the US$11.4 million project has warned. According to the EIA report by private consultant Dr Zahid Hameed, the “considerable negative impacts on the environment” include the permanent loss of habitat for flora and fauna, loss […]
In a predawn operation Tuesday, riot police removed banners put up by opposition supporters on the island of Maduvvari in Raa atoll ahead of a visit by President Abdulla Yameen. A warrant issued by the Raa Inguraidhoo magistrate court authorised the police to confiscate “banners, loudspeakers and sound systems” on suspicion that people were planning […]
Finance Minister Ahmed Munawar submitted to parliament Tuesday an MVR493 million (US$31.9 million) supplementary budget to approve new spending and revenue plans for the last two months of the year. Guarded by soldiers as opposition lawmakers continued to protest in the chamber, Munawar said spending is expected to exceed projected levels in the 2017 budget and […]
The Environmental Impact Assessment report for developing an airport on Kulhudhufushi after reclaiming the northern island’s mangrove has yet to be submitted, sources from the Environment Protection Agency has confirmed. The government’s plans to begin dredging the environmentally sensitive wetland area sparked an outcry from islanders and environmentalists. Ibrahim Naeem, the EPA’s director general, hung up the […]