Report: Soodh
Miadhu has learnt from reliable sources that a case against former Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed is to be submitted to the Citizens Majlis for misappropriation of government funds.The case against Dr. Shaheed is spending government funds against government regulations on a PR firm known as Hill & Knowlton whilst he was the Foreign Minister informs the source. The source informs that there is incriminating evidence against Dr. Shaheed on how government funds were illegally spent on PR firm hired by government to advise the government.
When Legal Reform Minister Mohamed Nasheed, yesterday, in his blog, claimed to seen and taken pictures of these documents Dr. Shaheed has rejected the allegations. Dr. Shaheed said if such evidence exists then there should no reason why the government should not take him to court.
Legal Reform Minister Nasheed wrote in his blog that he came across certain sensitive documents incriminating Dr Shaheed and these documents were in the hands of parliamentarians who were not very sympathetic to Dr Shaheed. Nasheed wrote that he took some pictures of those documents using his mobile phone. Minister Nasheed also wrote that he and Dr. Saheed exchanged text messages on the subject. Further Minister Nasheed, yesterday in blog has reproduced the text messages exchanged between them.
In a text message sent 19 of June 2007 Minister Nasheed inquires “Is it true that hnk has been paid pounds [---] k n [---] k for the last 6 months of 2006. n what is project druid?”
According to Minister Nasheed’s blog Dr. Shaheed responds by saying “That’s a lot of rubbish”.
Consequently according to Minister Nasheed’s blog Dr. Shaheed inquires “Y did u ask?” Minister Nasheed replies “grapevine”,
Minister went on to ask in his blog, “Will Dr Shaheed still say that this conversation did not happen between us? Will he still say that he was telling me the truth by dismissing as “rubbish” those payments made to HNK? I do not think so. I have seen documentary evidence in the hands of certain parliamentarians in the form of correspondence between Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance.”
Minister Nasheed in his blog writes that he believed that Dr Shaheed left the cabinet due to the pressure that was put on him by the imminent no confidence motion, presence of sensitive documents in the hands of unfriendly parliamentarians, and the certainty that those documents would be talked about in the debate on his no confidence motion and that Dr. Shaheed‘s resignation had nothing to do with the President blocking work on reform.
Minister Nasheed has wriiten that a Government Minister will not escape the responsibility for his actions or omissions whilst he was in office, by simply resigning.
Minister writes “I have been asked a few times if I believe that a minister could be held responsible for his acts or omissions even if he resigns from his Cabinet portfolio. I have been asked if parliament could question an ex-minister regarding his acts or omissions while in office even after he has resigned from his cabinet portfolio”.
In response Minister Nasheed writes “article 59 of the Maldives Constitution says that every cabinet minister shall perform functions assigned to his portfolio with utmost diligence and to the best of his ability. Every minister shall bear responsibility for his functions and shall be answerable to the President. Where his negligence causes any detriment to the State the minister shall bear responsibility for its consequences”.
Minister Nasheed stating that a government minister will be held responsible for actions even after he resigns from office cited Article 81 of the Constitution.
He writes” Article 81 of the Maldives Constitution says that every minister can be questioned in parliament about what he may have done or conducted in his official capacity. Every minister can be questioned in parliament about what he may have done or conducted in his private capacity if (what is complained of) is alleged to be unlawful, or is likely to be detrimental to the government or the people”.
Minister Nasheed further pointed out the Minister oath by stating “I will also refer to the oath of a cabinet minister. A minister takes oath in the name of Allah, the Almighty, to honor the religion of Islam; to safeguard the Constitution of the Republic and fundamental rights of the Maldivian people; to be faithful to the Maldivian Nation and the President, and to discharge trustfully and honestly, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic and Law, functions assigned to him by the President”.
Minister Nasheed noted that even though the Constitution talk about ministers, the Constitution neither puts a timeline on ministerial responsibility nor does it demarcate a boundary around responsibility to mean “responsibility while in office only”. Instead the provisions of the Constitution talk evidently about taking responsibility for acts committed as ministers wrote Minister Nasheed. Minister pointed out taking responsibility for ministerial acts shall be the spirit in which those provisions must be read, understood or appreciated. Otherwise people will never able to hold a minister responsible for his acts because a minister could easily escape liability by tendering his resignation wrote Minister Nasheed in his blog.
Legal Reform Minister Nasheed wrote that he is of the view that a person is forever bound by the oath he takes when he shoulders responsibility of the office of a minister and he shall forever be prepared to be held accountable to his deeds.
Verbal exchanges commenced between Dr. Shaheed and Minister Nasheed when President Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) denounced Dr. Shaheed comments made at a meeting of the Opposition Alliance held in Gan on Capital Radio and Minister Nasheed sided with Mundhu saying Mundhu was correct “cent by cent”. Dr. Shaheed at the meeting of the Opposition Alliance in Gan revealed his actions on the autopsy report of late Hussain Solah.
The text messages were exchanged over the recent comments made by Dr. Shaheed on the late Hussain Solah death at a meeting held by alliance of the opposition parties at Addu Atoll. The SMS were mainly on release of the report of Solah’s death to foreign agencies.
Hussein Salah who was arrested on a drug offence on the 9th of last April was found dead in the harbor near Atholhu Vehi on the 15th of that month.
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