Mohamed Aslam was elected leader of the Maldivian Democratic Party’s 65-member parliamentary group, beating the incumbent majority leader Ali Azim by 40 votes to 25 votes.
Three men were arrested in Shaviyani Miladhoo on suspicion of setting fire to a policeman’s motorcycle. Sergeant Mohamed Areesh, who was in charge of the island’s police desk, was targeted “because he pursued a known drug peddler” on Thursday night, according to the police commissioner. “Our officers will continue to tackle the drug menace both locally and nationally. We are not backing down!” he tweeted.
Both the police chief and home minister warned that attacks against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated.
The military’s firefighters put out a grassland fire in Fuvahmulah.
Economic Development Minister Fayyaz Ismail and MP Imthiyaz Fahmy submitted applications to contest for chairperson of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party. Internal elections are scheduled nationwide for 16 April.
The Malé City Council received 2,429 applications for 211 parking spaces. The submissions were made to an online portal within four hours.
The portal was inaccessible when the council invited applications on Wednesday, prompting the mayor to accuse the government of blocking the site. But the technology ministry denied the allegation.
The council previously offered parking spots to taxis and private vehicles last July. But the Anti-Corruption Commission stopped the process after complaints about the lottery from unsuccessful applicants.
A backlog of 1,182 cases at the criminal court would take years to clear at full capacity, the Judicial Service Commission informed parliament’s judiciary committee. One proposal is to hire more prosecutors and paralegals and to increase the court’s working hours from 2 pm to 5 pm, JSC chairwoman Hisaan Hussain, a lawmaker who represents the legislature in the judicial oversight body, told MPs. The costlier option is to appoint three more judges, she explained.
Addressing concerns over the acquittal of suspects in drug trafficking cases, Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath blamed the outdated evidence law as well as police officers, prosecutors and judges who deliberately exploit loopholes to free defendants on technicalities. He urged lawmakers to pass the new evidence bill submitted last year.
The United Kingdom became the first European country to establish a diplomatic mission in the Maldives with the opening of the British High Commission in Malé.
UK Minister of State for South Asia Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon attended the opening ceremony during his official visit.
Legislation for asset declaration drafted by Transparency Maldives was introduced to parliament. If passed, the new law would require top officials to “disclose a wide range of information such as details of real and personal property located within the country or abroad, employment, and capital invested.” Failure to comply could result in jail terms or fines up to MVR500,000 (US$32,425).
The present asset declaration regime would be strengthened with an independent verification body that could refer cases for prosecution.
UNDP Maldives signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the economic development ministry to “provide technical assistance for strengthening evidence-based policymaking, improving support to women entrepreneurship” and enhancing investments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The partnership will support the establishment of a data analysis lab, help explore climate investment opportunities, and focus on up-skilling Women’s Development Committees, youth leaders and community organisations.
The Supreme Court set a precedent to accept DNA evidence in rape cases. DNA can be used to prove guilt with supporting evidence, a three-judge panel ruled, upholding the conviction of a resort worker jailed for raping a South Korean woman in 2015.
In October, the apex court ruled that DNA evidence is also admissible in cases of premarital or extramarital sex, an offence for which pregnant women are disproportionately punished as men who deny culpability are acquitted. The landmark precedent was set in the case of a man who was charged with fathering a child out of wedlock. He had been found not guilty by a magistrate court on the grounds that ziney (unlawful intercourse) could not be proven in the absence of either a confession or the testimony of four male witnesses. But the Supreme Court ruled that such defendants should receive a lesser punishment if ziney could not be proven by Islamic shariah standards.
An Indian national was found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to life imprisonment. Santikumar Shankar Nada was arrested at the airport after 3.9kg of cannabis was found in his luggage in August 2019.
Police officers started using body-worn cameras for the first time. The initiative will “further improve accountability and transform policing”, the police commissioner said.
Later in the week, the Maldives Correctional Service also decided to procure body cams for prison guards.
