:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

LOCAL NEWS DO EXCLUSIVE
Gayyoom pardons Guraidhoo Island Chief's 5 year Sentence for Corruption

Mariyam Mohamed, K. Guraidhoo Island, 11^th July 2004

DO can reveal that President Gayyoom has pardoned the former Bodu Katheeb (Island Chief) of K. Guraidhoo Island, Abdul Haadhee, who was charged and convicted of corruption and sentenced recently to 5 years banishment. Haadhee is very close to the Atolls Minister Abdullah Hameed (President Gayyoom’s brother) who has a free hand in dealing with any all issues in the 199 inhabited islands of the Maldives.

Abdulla Hameed uses his influence to preserve a ring of criminals and paedophiles, a sick man who is allowed to get away with anything by his brother Gayyoom

Mr. Haadhee is a convicted thief who was served a 12 month sentence 6 years ago. However, due to his influence he was able to come back to his old job, just like this time. He remains a powerful figure in the Island of Guraidhoo because of his close relationship with Minister Hameed in spite of being convicted, named and shamed.

A disgraced person is second in command in Maldives, Abdulla Hameed is the Speaker of the Majlis as well as Atolls Minister

The recent conviction was for corruption, after he auctioned material and equipment in the island and helped himself to the funds raised. After pressure from the island people, the case did get a hearing unlike most such cases

A late night phone call by Minister Hameed to the people in charge is all it takes, whether it is the Police or the Justice Ministry or the Attorney General’s office. Trials have been halted this way, and many injustices and misdemeanours go unreported.

This case bears all the hallmarks of Gayyoom’s so-called justice system. Haadhee was sentenced to 5 years and two days later he wrote to the President who is constitutionally head of the judiciary. Gayyoom pardoned him and re-instated him as Island Chief. This is a perfect example of Gayyoom’s ruling style which has resulted in the general public loosing confidence in his government and calling for his resignation.

The international community, who have been long kept in the dark about these kinds of cases, were told by government spokesman Ibrahim Waheed (‘Ogaru’) on 13^th February 2004 on BBC Asia Today Program that ‘we have due process of law in this country’.

In fact, we don’t have any justice in the Maldives. There is only the ‘will of Gayyoom’, and the cell blocks of Maafushi Island Jail and Dhoonidhoo Island Prison.

The people of the Maldives know that justice is only served to please the ruling elite of the Maldives and the rich who can afford to bribe the judges.

It is quite astonishing how President Gayyoom does not ‘have to’ justify anything he does or any of the decisions he has taken during the last 26 years, which will sadly cost our country a whole generation of youth, marred by the lack of control on drugs, limited opportunities and minimal education.

Incidents such as this, which show the abuse of power by Gayyoom, are an everyday occurrence in Maldives. No one dare talk or write about them for fear of being thrown into a prison cell.