News

Leniency towards child sex offenders ‘completely unacceptable’: President

Published

2 months ago

23/03/2024

Pardoning or showing leniency towards people arrested or convicted for sexual offenses against children is completely unacceptable, says President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

The president made the remark in a post on X on Saturday morning.

“Pardoning or showing leniency towards people arrested or convicted for sexual offenses against children and releasing them is completely unacceptable,” he wrote. “The government has been instructing the [Prosecutor General’s Office] PG to appeal such decisions as soon as possible.”

“Let us all work together to free the Maldivian community from the evil claws of such despicable individuals,” he added.

The remarks come a day after the PGO announced its decision to sign a deal with a person arrested for possession of child porn.

The deal, which the PGO said was signed on November 15, 2023, saved the 32-year-old man from a potential jail term.

A spokesperson from the PGO told Sun on Friday that the office made the decision because there isn’t a separate charge for possession of child porn, and because the suspect showed remorse.

“There isn’t a separate charge for possession of child pornography in the law. Its just the uniform porn possession charge – which carries a prison sentence of one month and 24 days,” he said.

“A one-year reprimand agreement was made after confessed and showed remorse.”

In a press briefing on March 17, the police said they were investigating two cases based on information shared by foreign law enforcement agencies that monitor social media sites for child pornography regarding people based in Maldives who have downloaded pornographic content, including photos and videos, of children.

The two cases included that of the 32-year-old suspect.

According to the police, the victims in the cases appear as young as two years old.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

Asia-Pacific Blue Economy Forum comes to Maldives

Published

3 hours ago

12/05/2024

The Asia-Pacific Blue Economy Forum for 2024 has been scheduled to be held in the Maldives.

Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed confirmed the forum will be held in the Maldives, noting it was privilege to become the forum’s host.

Besides this, the minister welcomed the high-level representation from Climate Finance Network (CFN) countries, and added the he was eager to “witness quick translation of forum outcomes into tangible action”.

The Asia-Pacific Blue Economy Forum will be organized and hosted by the ministry in association with the UNDP Maldives, with the support of Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

The forum aims to encourage the sustainability of ocean resources, improvement of economic prowess and employment scope related to the maritime and fisheries sectors.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

Minister confirms redeployment of all Indian militants

Published

19 hours ago

11/05/2024

Minister of Defence Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon has disclosed that the 76 Indian militants stationed in the Maldives have been successfully redeployed. The redeployment of foreign troops from the nation is a commitment of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

The withdrawal of the Indian military troops stationed by May 10 in the Maldives, as per the pledge of President Dr. Muizzu, were officially announced today at a press conference held at the President’s Office. The troops were redeployed in batches, with the first batch redeployed in March. This was followed by the withdrawal of the second batch of militants in April and the last batch on May 10.

Details on the withdrawal of the foreign troops are as follows: In March, a total of 26 soldiers who were stationed in Gan, Addu City were redeployed, with 12 militants redeployed on March 7 and 14 militants on March 9. Meanwhile, 25 military personnel in Hanimaadhoo, Haa Dhaalu Atoll withdrew, with 13 soldiers redeployed on April 7 and 12 on May 9. The troops stationed in Kadhdhoo, Laamu Atoll were redeployed with 12 personnel withdrawing the platforms on May 7 and 13 by May 9.

Speaking at the press conference, Minister Ghassan revealed that the foreign soldiers working at Senahiya Military Hospital are doctors, and there were no plans to redeploy them. The minister assured that these soldiers were not partaking in any military roles.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Foreign Minister prioritises talks with India to expedite projects

Published

19 hours ago

11/05/2024

Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer has affirmed that significant strides have been made in expediting projects initiated in the Maldives with financial assistance from the Indian Government.

Following his official visit to India at the invitation of Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, Minister Zameer said that a spectrum of initiatives across the nation has been kickstarted through loans and grants from the Government of India during the previous administration. He emphasised the current government’s commitment to prioritising the resumption and completion of these projects. He also underscored his dedication to this endeavor during his recent visit to India.

Additionally, Minister Zameer disclosed that both ministers engaged in bilateral discussions on May 9 to address pivotal matters aimed at expediting the projects. He underscored the discussions with Minister S. Jaishankar, focusing on the operational dynamics of the committees entrusted with executing these projects.

During the official discussions between the two nations, Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated the significance of India’s ongoing projects in the Maldives.

Source(s): PsmNew