by Maryam Omidi, Minivan News - Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s legal team advised him to seek compensation for defamatory allegations made against him, arguing they contributed to his defeat in the presidential election.
The legal counsel comes after a civil court verdict on Tuesday found Hassan Afeef, political advisor to the president and former MP, guilty of defamation. Afeef was fined Rf4,500 (US$350).
“When the first case was brought, the main reason was to stop him [Afeef] from spreading such rumours,” said Abbas Shareef, a lawyer from the team. “But we believe the rumours were one of the main reasons why Mr Gayoom lost the elections.”
Speaking to Minivan News today, President’s Office Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair said that the legal team’s rationale was “a bit of a stretch”.
Afeef was taken to court by Gayoom, for alleging the former president had US$80 million stashed in a foreign bank, including US$40 million embezzled from tsunami aid from the Emir of Qatar, at a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally.
Abbas said the team was still awaiting Gayoom’s response; the ex-president is currently in Egypt.
While an exact figure had not yet been calculated, he said the claim could run into millions of rufiyaa, comprising of five years’ of salary (US$350,000) and other benefits, which Gayoom would have received as president.
Asked how the team planned to establish Gayoom’s defeat had been contingent on the allegations, Abbas pointed to the results of the first and second round of the presidential elections.
Following the first round of voting, Gayoom won 40 per cent of the vote compared to President Mohamed Nasheed’s 25 per cent. As no one candidate won fifty per cent of the vote, a run-off ensued.
A number of other parties supported Nasheed in the second round of the election, resulting in his victory. He won 54 per cent of the vote, while Gayoom won 45 per cent.
“The first time Mr Gayoom had a big difference from Mr Nasheed, but before the second round, the rumour spreading machine was put into effect,” said Abbas.
On the role the coalition’s endorsement played, he questioned why they had chosen to back Nasheed rather than Gayoom. Again, Abbas said the allegations may have been a reason.
But, said Zuhair, there were a number of reasons why Gayoom had lost the election, namely cronyism, nepotism and corruption under his administration.
Further, Afeef was not the only person who alleged corruption under Gayoom’s regime, he said. “Allegations of corruption have been made by his own auditor general.”
Since his appointment by Gayoom in January 2008, Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem has published a total of 33 damning reports, revealing widespread corruption by members of the former government; members of the opposition have described Naeem as biased.
While the first case was to salvage Gayoom’s reputation, said Abbas, the purpose of the second was to put an end to baseless allegations. “It would send a message across the country: if you can’t prove something then don’t say it.”
Further, he said, as the civil court found Afeef guilty of defamation, he hoped police would investigate the matter and forward the case to the prosecutor general.
In April, the prosecutor general announced he would implement a provision in the Penal Code which criminalises defamation.
The decision provoked a negative backlash from journalists and the president, who last month, sent an amendment bill to parliament to make defamation a civil offence.
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30 comments:
I hear Golhaabo is in Egypt, sorting out all the furnitures he shipped from Maldives (those taken from Theemuge) just before he had to vacate the place.
Who is paying for all these trips of Golhaa?
And, if Golhaa thinks he can take people to court for losing his 'dick-ship', he must be off his mind.
What an absolute wanker!
I think we all have been too nice to these crooks. We have changed the election of results to suit Gassan in Thimarafushi and now the courts have fined a MDP member for defamation. We have enough evidence based on AG report. Let us put the Attorney General to work. Let him send these cases one by one, even if he has to keep his office open for 24/7. We need to push these cases, before Golhabo stop his globe trotting. We should gather near attorney generals office or his residence, the last Friday of July, and push him to do his job.
Fact of the matter is, Gayyoom is defeated and no longer the President of Maldives. He still find this hard to digest.
Now he will try to blame it on someone else. I think this is natural human behaviour. We humans tend to find fault with others not with ourselves.
In my opinion, Gayyoom got defeated because he was Gayyom; because the presidential candidate from DRP was Gayyoom. Had someone else like Thasmeen been the DRP candidate, Anni would have to fight much harder to win.
bullshit 'nice' ey..thelhi thelhi kameh nukurevigennun thi ulhenee..
thiya aalaathu 'naanaa huvafenuqa' kithah faharu maumoon bidi alhuvaifin????
maumoon ah furniture ves qendheveyneyey...kenereege ah emme echcheh vedhdhiyas 'indhaalaanan'..habaru dhaaru
Mulhi court thakugaa thi thibee hus Gayoom laafa thibi thane dhore nenge ghaazin naa jujun thake nun, dhen ajaabe nuveynun kiriyaa eche buna meehaa gengos defamation badu hangade kiya eche buna meehaa fine koh anekaaves kon meves golhiakka fattha ebunaa meehaage athun sarukaara fine ge namuga faissa dhamigannan,balaala bal democracy ge dhuniyeyge bodethi namoonaathaka, kaatoon kuraha, demonstration gaa bordugaa ehchethi liye, public meehun, konme fadha eche meehun kaaree kiyas emeehune court thaka dhamaa defamation golhiya laa fine eh nukure, kobaa afeef ah oi haggu dhen eyne ah fenna eche kiyang, kobaa afeefuge hagu, aah, gayoom sarukaaruge addhi gang laari eh gaa nujehe, ekamaku etha billion dolaregga jehunu nun , kon thaakun emeehun thi hurihaa faissa thake hodhanee, kaamineege handas burin noonee fenbo valhun tha? vedhaane dho fenuge badhalugaafaibanee hus american 100 dollar nootu kama, maaikamun rasoolu beykalun na libifaa hunna aadhyaa hilaafu sifa eh huree thoache, aamun na nengey, evara Islam dheen kiyeveema maai ves vedhaane!
konme gotheh vias thee hama bodu khaaineh. meehaku thihen jooreemanaa kurevunee thee rishvathu hifi meehun thi than thanuga thibeythee. eves khaainun.
good
i will also file a case against gayoom for putting in prison in 1988. this was the reason why i could not become the president in the years following 1988. so i want the money for 20 years salary plus the mental damage for me and my family.
Golhaabo did not pocket one single cent!100%True! He spend recklessly the money on his family and friends and banked dollar notes and invested in private banks and properties abroad but not in his name.Different family members own properties in certain countries like malaysia, singapore, uk,India,his favourite place egypt, maybe others...what has he done to Maldives for the average person?created a slum in Male,brought drugs, crime and violence, introduced quantity and erased quality in the values of culture, health, schools,public service and installed useless, corrupted people in high positions.Angabodu nuko illabey ge geygaa madun hure veytho balaabala, 80 aharu veema dhen enme kairivaanee cemetry ingey, verikame noon!
This is going too far now.
Golahaa has embezzeled state funds, he bought a million dollar yacht without the approval of Majilis. He allowed his grown up children and thier children to lavishly enjoy state funds. He unlawfully gave money to his friends and family. Whats their to prove. Is the proof only waht is being proven in a court. If these kiind of lawyers who are hungry for money and selfish, remains in the country we the citizens will not be able to live there anymore. Better give the whole country to them and instead of republic of MAldives we should call the nation, Maummon,and Family and Friends island states. These lawyers names will be written in our history as as the traitors of the nation. I wonder how much these lawyer called abbas shareef earns. We the citizens will not tolerate this injustices. We dont care about the proof. If you wanna look for proof I challenge this Abbas Shareef bastard to go and lick the asses of Gayoom and Yamin and see what comes out of their asses. If the bastard can prove its liquid gold then I can accept that their wealth has come from their ass. If not whay cant others be rich. Mr Gayoom Seedhee was a mudhimu with no wealth other than a piece of land which he inherited to his family memebers. So where did all this money for them come from. Mr Abbas go and fuck ur self, and u will see the proof.What legacy are u gonna give to your children and the future of this country, u bastard. I wish ALLAH almighty punish u for being such a traitor. this legal team must be the real asss lickers of Golhabo. U bastards wake up from your enigma and listen to your nation. ' wathan edhey gothah dhamaa he heyo hithun mijaanudheyn"
where is ur sense of patriotism and love for our nation and our people. Can u also defend Golhabo on the day of judgement, u bastards. When ALLAH punish Golhabo for his henious crimes in hell can u stand for him. Do u think u can escape GOD u bastard.
My friends and colleagues.... Do you think that any of you MDP'ers will wait even a second if you had the evidence to convict Qayyoom. It's only accusations and that anyone can make. No one is and was nice to Qayyoom, but the problem is that the authorities failed to find enough evidence to convict him. He is not free at the mercy of Kan'daa Nasheed. If you think so you are out of your mind...And the Auditor General, of course is already under corruption investigation; his family is full of criminals; so what do you expect from him. A corrupt bastard indeed....
We owe nothing to gayoom, instead, he must be grateful that we have kept him out of jail. We have given Anni the time to prosecute him, now, we may have to bring justice to him
maumoon aa eynaage meehun heekuranee, raajjeyge raiythun nakee , maumoon meng alhun kamah.beynun haa gotheh hedheyne kamah. rayyithun nah kudaves kan fulheh huri bayeh noon maumoon men nakee. aharumen ge laari kaan ulhey baeh. Iraadha kurevviyyaa dhuvahakuves, dhen raajjeyge veri kameh maumoon men naa gulhey bayakah ves Maaiy Allah nudhevvaa ne. Aameen
Dictator is trying to bring his old methods to teenagers.
Hey Golhaa you better run off from this country, don't you know if a person stay as a president for a 30 years, that person should have done lots of illigal favers to huge range of people, so those are the people who are in DRP right now.
I am telling you to leave the country. Pls pls don't spoil our peoples in Maldives.
Jaiz ( Maathoda )
this is absolutely outrageous! I am sick and tired of Anni painting a good picture of maumoon and yamin in the name of being democratic... when did democracy mean denying justice. No, i fear that Yamin and Anni did some deal or made some agreement whereby Yamin has Anni blackmailed over what I don't yet know but although whatever reason Anni is protecting this Yamin the truth is if anni cannot smash this monster's control of the ganggsters then thankyou Anni for bringing first wave of change, you are our hero but now we need someone who will smash yamin apart so step aside Anni and let another take over as president and you can be an elderly statesman! Anni, come clean, what have you promised Yamin, why are you protecting him? We will force you to come clean unless you are really crazy enough to believe he is innocent well you cannot lead anymore... whatever happened between these two, i feel some darkness, some deep dark secret some promise went on but whatever it is but Anni hiding something dark and protects this secret mightily...
Is golha a joke in the 21st century?
Aharumen mithibee golha ah compensation dhey gothah ekamaku compensation dheveynee thireegai mibuna compensation golha athun libigenneve
1- 30 aharu dhuvahu ban'du elhi dhivehinge mudhalaa faisa ah liben jehey compensation
2- Furusiaana gai beehigen dheny jehey compensation
3 - javvah badi jahaa ebadeege vazan insaanunge bolah amaazu koffai vaathee dheyn jehey compensation
4 - post-mortem hadhaigen genas valhulee geri eh kan bakahteh kan adhives neygeythee dheyn jehey compensation
5 - badigudhanuge thalhudhan'di anbodeegai eluvaigen hure huvai kureethee dheyn jehey compensation
6 - former president ofeehun dhivehi sarukaaruge nishaan beynun kureethee dheyn jehey compensation
7 - dhuniyein moyave kos gova govaa hutaa verikan gellumuge sababun DRPge memberunnah liben jehey compensation
8 - islaamee gaumakah budhu ethere kureethee dheyn jehey compensation
9 - oriyaamun hure gaumaa muhaathab nukuranees dhivehi raiyyithun verikan badhalu kolleethee emeehunah liben jehey compensation
10 - verikamun feybi iru golha ulhunu horu noon ehen evves echcheh gaumugai netheetheeve dhivehi raiyyithunnah evves meehakah compensation dheven othee furathama golha athun liben jehey compensation libigenneve
Still the people who benefited unjustly durin golhabos time in office are trying to bring him back to the position. Its not Afeef who defamed Golahbo its us the Maldivians.We still call him galhabo. even if nothing is proved in the court every single maldivian believes golhabo was dedicator ... so he did everything a dictator does and that includes THEFT as well.
Now since, the the judicial service of the Maldives is in the process of reform the Lawyers have managed to form a cult to make every disadvantage in the system to work for their own advantage.this will not help us in establishing a sound democratic ststem.
Gaomu 30 aharu gauma nukurevunu kame kihinetha dhen othha kuraanee, balaala bala hurihaa dhivehinne,lorhulhuvaala bala 7 mas dhuvas there anni kuri ranghalhu kantha,65 aharuge muskulhiina mahaku edhey faissa, hiley health hidmai, raees office budget un bodu adhadhaka faissa haradhu kuda kurun,sarukaarun beykaaru, viyaanudhaa israafu nukurun, mihen gos etha kame, adhi amdhun golhaamen rah banda jassafai ovva, laari nethi kuraa kantha, nuhorupaan kuran civil service kiyaa thane ge beykaaru meehun laa, mikamaahedhee misarukaaruge baaru kuda ko coruption meehun thaka ves mussara dheyn jehenee bodethi magaamugaa gondi hoonukuraathee, mi hurihaa nohorupaan jaasafai efeybee, nuhovigen.parliament gaa coruption faisa beynun kogen vote hoadi drp meehun tha ginaee, adhives hinhama nujehenee dho 30 aharu aanmun gina dhivehim narakaigaa dhenmeethee, mihaaru aani ge sababun ali mage dhivehinna fenan fesheema emagu ves huras kuran eki sifa sifaigaa, mee dhivehiraaje ah jehifaa oi koafaa eh adhi bodu thoofane, minju nuvaavaruge, aharamen ge dharin, kaafa dharin na ves ne mi balaain salaame veveyka , adhives nuvisna geygaa madun rajaa laigen onna ka, kurevunu nubaai kantha thakaa blaafai,mi thankolhe boduvaru, adhives defamation kiyaagen meeehun huskuran,defamation dhashugaa, maumoon sarukaaru, masodi naseem aaila, reeko moosa aaila,sikaa aaila,moomina haleem ge aaila, luthfee aaila etha gina aaila meehunge geydhosha fonuvaa, loari loarigaa meehun fonuvaa, gina memberunge agu vatta guilava kiyaa adugadha kurain halhey lavaa , auguraana , govaa, ey ee sarukaara nengi veekantha dho, kobaa e enmena Gayyom sarukaaru dhen jehe defamation agu? veemma afeef eche buni ey kiyaafa dhen eyna koata dhama fine ko, mee kon ussooletha veri aku ulhen amdhun muhi ra 30 aharu garagu koffa?
Nooney vaa Maumoon kaleyah vaa hama saabas, Mahloof hey aruvailaifi, Jihaadhu hey aruvailaifi, mi haaru thi hiree amihla dhari fulhu havayah dheegen, Zaeemu kaleyah vaa hama saa bas. Iraadha kureh veethee Abbaa haa Iliyaa haa Abdhulla Hameedhaa, Fathuhullaa Jameelaa Salaa mai ve boa dhamai genfi, adhi ekamaku fah kadaa hifi nuhuregen eh rey Nasreenaa yaa eh koh heydha koh levunee thee esoru adhives kaafaru bolah araigen eba ulhey.
Maumoonu kaley yah vaa hama saabas.
Maumoonooo kaley kon kamakaa tha thi haa rulhi aisgen thi ulhenee. threes aharu madhu tha.
Golhaa u cant escape frm Maldives now...Adhan Naeem has been asked to attend Presidential commision and he fled secretly with golhaa. Next is u golhaa, think u can escape...never...that was ur last trip overseas...get ready to spend rest of ur life behind bars ...cheers baby
let us all get together everynight near alivaage from saturday night onwards..
What reputation? whats wrong with this guy, doesnt he realise he does not have one?pls, drp and the crooks, do maldivians a favour, put into this guy that he has no respect , reputation and trust from the majority of maldivians. thihiree hurihaa hissu tha kendifa, loa hulhuvaa, kanfai thhoonukoahaabala, mulhi rashugaa miveythuviya masthakugaa, dhivehin eki goi gotha kee echethi, ladhu hayaa kenduneema dhen ulheynee thi gotha, nasir ah ves defaamation dheyn jeheyne, kaley meehun lavaa kee echissa, nasir verikan dhookolevee 30 ahar, dhivehi raaje huskoffa ka nun, golhaa+ cronies enme furatham dhivehinna 30 aharuge haagu tha dhee, eyge fahun angahulhuvaa, ingeytha, thi lawyer ah ves thi dhenee hama dhivehinge faisaa, thihunaneeves sarukaaruge faissa ah hadhaafaivaa geyegaa
Judicial farce.
Re: "Afeef found guilty of defaming former president" by Maryam Omidi, 30 June 2009
Insofar as the reporting was accurate in the article it seems very odd that it was not necessary to call the witnesses who claimed the defendant had said certain things. If the newspapers had been on trial (the reporters etc. and perhaps the corporation) then it would not be necessary to call the witnesses since the publication of something defamatory should be enough. But there is a problem with the idea that the prosecution did not have to call the witnesses who made the claim that the defendant had said something defamatory. Obviously the defendant was denied the possibility of cross examining the key witnesses.
This absurdity is being used as a legal precedent for the even more ridiculous follow-on action described in this article.
For an illustration of free expression about political meglomania check out this article in the staid Canadian newspaper, The Toronto Star:
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/660722
Dear Golhaabo
.. A man not for the islands..
For Goodness sake dude you are not "P" for Presidnete anymore i know after 30 frigging years its really hard for you and you Dhivhi Rundhin Ge party to digest it but the thing is you partly mentally deranged idiots just don't get it, Dear Gohlaa Bo Please Sod off and let and give chance to to rebuild this place you destroyed
Maumoonu dhen verikama dhanjehenvaaneeves vaki vara ka inge!Dhen mihaaru mee maa boduvaru. Meehaku kamakaa ves ulhefaane, ekamaku 30 aharauge verikamakun eves kame nuvegen keteemaa ves adhives hama thihira mara furaanay thelehenee. Dementia akee sikudee ge baye muskhuliveemaa jehey adhi hadhaanugaa vaguthee kantha nuhure veythuvedhiya thaareehugaa vefa hun kantha handhaan na anna kame, ekamaku Maumoon ah mivanee ehene noon, emmena hilaafa, veythu vediya 30 aharau hadhaanun filaafa, midhiya 7 mahuge kantha mihadhaanugaa hunnanee. Bala Golhaabo aaila enmen vejjejun nassey hatherivaan mifakeera, baakeevegen foohivegen ulhen yaa ebahuri Maummoon adhi eynaa sarukaarugaa coruption hingi meehuna ekasheegen vaa magaam, ekamaku vazeefa adhakuran vaanee dhen hiley saabaha eyee 30 ahrauge faisa dhivehi raajein kai huskureethee.Gayoom- advizaru anti coruption boad+human rights noonee egypt gaa geri bakari huihappan, Ilyas-manageru women affairz in south arabiya, abdulla hameed- hekiveri gay mariages ah,Zahir Hussain-advisar for obesty programes,adam zahir, abolition of torture and maintanance for human rights,anbaree+isthafaa ibrahim manik-removal of torture chamberz+enforcejustice+human rights,yamin- promoter for afganistan drug farming industree,seena zahiru-speaker for silunt+dumb coruption people,samarey, magumathee programe announcer,abbas, transparent massala nimun sarudhaaru,aneesa, advisaru mens afairz+nursing career political bed chember ah badhalukuaa method,aamalu- advisaru fo kuru mudhathakun phd hadhaane goi,jangiyaa sobiru-peo naka sarukaaruge namuga vagufaisa pocket ko beyru thanthaa foruvaanegoi,Dr. Mohamed Latheef-advisar madhu dhuvas kolahkun ekasheegenvaa faasthake nethi kuli phd hoadhan thisiz nuliye hadhaa goi das ko dheyn,azima shukoor, chief- bokos universiteeganoon assasee aa idhikolhu,dr.shaugy-education phd ge nama huthuruaruvaa+corruption ah heligen,zahiya- model namoona kiyava anhen kudinna,adul rasheed hussain- cartoon bai kulhen dhivehi tv programme thaka..
kon kahala lawer eh tha Golhaa ah mi advise dhenee? Boahamjehey lawer eh kairives nuvaane 30 aharuge dictatorship hingi meehaka, thihinama, taylor, Milosovich fadha meehun kaamiyaabu kureehennun, e aalaathun ves hama jehunee jala dhaan, thifaada boduhedhigen ulhen yaa dhen majority dhivehinge faraathun kaley havaalu kuran vee hague ah, eyrun thi gengulhey laywer meehaa ves kiyaane eche noan naane,ajaabenun, thi aaila enmen mihaaruves thi ulhenee sarukaaruge faissa in hadhaafa huri than thanugaa, adhi bank account thakun thiharadhu kuranee aharumen hurihaa dhivehin ge faisaa ey, kaley dhuniye aii, dhivehi raajeeyge tourist ratha fahathugaa laigen tha, tourism kuri aruvaneeves amilla meehun, sarukaaru kuraakamakee emeehunge athuves bodu tax nagaa kaleymenge aiila bank ko haradhu kuranee, kobaatha sarukaarun 30 aharu dhuvahu kuri developed kantha tha, enme kuda vegen nethey kamudhaa hospital gadeves aamunna tharagee ko dheefa ceylon, India maafahun fashaigen thanthanugaa maakuriaraa hospital tha ebahuri mi 30 aharu there kuriah gengossaa
lawyers gone mad...
kureega liyune coment ah ithurukolan mohamed rasheed mingadu heyo varu kuran washine machine thaka filan ereveytho +entrance ticket kandan strip tease show thaka, mee vara fenna magaamthake dho kale men enmenaa......
I WOULD ADVISE FORMER PRESIDENT TO CHECK IF THERE IS A VACANCY IN A NIGERIAN SCHOOL AT THIS STAGE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO VACATE THE PRESIDENCY OF MALDIVES.
-WISHFUL-
maumoon dhakkaa vaahaka akah idhikolhu fiyavalhu elhigen nuvaane oa mamoon bunanee.. kihaa dhen hevvaa vaahaka eh. mamuoon akee, ethah bayeh nuhaqqun jalah laa meehun merumah hudhdha dheefai vaa meh.adhi aharumeng laari kaifaa huri meeheh. evaru ge meehakau bunaa haa echchakah, aharumen vee, aadhe aadhe masaa hibaa thedhufulheh kiyantha. maumoon hen aharumen ves vee faafaverivaan. maumoon bunan vaahaka eh, kaleyaa ebbas vaane, dhen ves aharumenge faisaa ah dhahivethi ve, maumoon athun e faidhaa hoadhaan ulhey meehun. ekan majlis in eba feney. Iraadha kurevviyya, raaje dhen maumoon ah adhi eynaa aa gulhey meehakah ves veri kameh nukureveyne. Aameen
maanu, kobaa, vara assaru kure dho mihaaru dhen anni bodethi kulaige mehunaa vahaka dhaka jalssaa thakun fen naathee,dimocrathee mee aabahe dho, azharu un kiyavakudhin kolha ingeynee hama makaraa heelai, vakkan, meehunna aniyako, gaanoon assaaee aai idhikolhuvaan, verin ney kiaaigen magaam thaka ara meehunge haagu feyrey, hoadhee feyrey adhlu insaafe nethi hukum ko mehun dhanjassan, kon kahala taaleem eh tha thi hoadhee thi kahala thaleemm verin na nulibuniya maa ranghalhu, mihaaru dhen mivee maahevva gothe dho?dhimakraathee badhalhu mivee dhihma kuraa thee ah!
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