Prosecutor General’s Office, on Friday, said they have begun requesting the vacation of fines to prison time for offenders who have not paid the fines imposed on them by courts for criminal offenses.

The new Penal Code allows lighter sentences for misdemeanors such as fines or community service.

PG Office, in a statement publicized on its website on Friday, said they have begun requesting lower courts to vacate the sentences of offenders who have not paid their fines to prison sentences based on information shared with the Office by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).

In this regard, PG Office said they can submit to vacate the sentence of offenders to prison time if they have not settled their fines within 30 days of notice from MIRA.

The Office stressed that sentences offenders who have not paid their fines will be vacated to prison sentences from hereon, as prison time is the principal punishment for a criminal offense.

It was noted that courts impose fines after ensuring the offenders have the means to pay the fine and henceforth, no excuse can be argued for not paying the fine.

While prison time is the principal punishment for criminal offenses, fines or other lighter sentences are imposed under extenuating circumstances.

PG Office underscored that the non-payment of such fines amounted to the offender going unpunished. With repeat of such cases, the Office accused some offenders of misusing the easements provided to them by the Penal Code.

Source(s): sun.mv

TEHRAN, June 6 (Xinhua) — Reformist candidate, former Health Minister Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday won the 14th presidential election in Iran, getting 16,384,402 of the total 30,573,931 votes in the runoff, Iran’s Election Headquarters Spokesperson Mohsen Eslami announced, adding the turnout in the second round stands at 49.8 percent.

The snap election was called after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province on May 19. According to Iranian law, a candidate needs to garner at least 50% plus one vote; thus, after no candidate achieved this in the first round on June 28, the election headed into a runoff between the top two candidates.

Pezeshkian, 69, is a heart surgeon-turned-politician who served as health minister in the 2000s and as the first deputy speaker of parliament from 2016 to 2020. Jalili, 58, was Tehran’s negotiator during nuclear talks with world powers. The candidates were approved by Iran’s Guardian Council, a panel of clerics and jurists that holds veto power over legislation passed by parliament and determines who can seek office in the Islamic Republic.

Source(s): Xinhua

Ministry of Economic Development and Trade announced restrictions on multiple business activities for expatriates.

The move aims to address the extensive involvement of expatriates, especially illegal immigrants, in various business sectors.

Government has been taking stronger measures to curtail this.

In announcement made by the ministry on Thursday, it has confirmed a total of 25 business sectors are now restricted for expatriates.

This include;

Online businesses including e-commerce and retailing
Wholesale trade (except for construction materials)
Domestic logistics
Postal and courier services
Sale of food and beverages
Rental services (inclusive of construction and heavy-duty machinery)
Employment and recruiment agencies
Travel agencies, tour operators, reservations agencies and similar entities
Landscaping
Public Administration and work related to national security
General Tuition class and Quran Class
General Clinics
Repair of computers, general and home appliances
Programming and broadcasting
Legal profession
Photography and videography
Development of picnic islands
Commercial usage of vehicles
Souvenir and handicraft work
Manufacture of rubber and plastic laden materials
Manufacture of tobacco-based products
Woodwork (except for furniture)
Mining and coring
Sand mining
Forestry

With expatriate population in Maldives at alarming levels, the government recently launched a nationwide effort to crackdown on illegal immigration.

Maldives Immigration last Sunday said that through their efforts, over 1,800 illegal expatriates have been deported already.

In a joint-operation last Saturday, the authority had discovered and detained another 83 illegal immigrants.

Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan said the entire process of legitimizing illegal immigrants or deporting them will be completed within three years.

Source(s): sun.mv