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Komandoo tsunami aid - a saga of corruption in Maldives
DO correspondent - 31 December 2004
Komandoo island, Shaviyani atoll29 December, 2230 hrs: Aid from Male' Taskforce arrives in Komandoo, including food, clothing, water, 30 gas cookers and 50 gas cylinders all donated by kind donators.
30 December, 1200 hrs: Komandoo (also known as Komandoo) island chief distributed all aid EXCEPT 30 gas cookers and 50 gas cylinders which his cousin started selling on the other side of the island to the well-off islanders of Komandoo. A gas cooker was sold for Mrf1800 (selling price in Male' is Mrf700 ) and a gas cylinder was sold for Mrf 300 (actual price in Male' is Mrf130).
1215 hrs: Dhoani crew sent by Taskforce complained of this incident to Male'.
1230 hrs: Education minister Dr Shaugy called island chief and asked him to take back gas cookers and cylinders and distribute them to the needy, however, the island chief denied receiving any gas cookers or cylinders.
1300 hrs: Dhoani crew complains again and news reaches Defence Minister Ismail Shafeeu who called the island chief as well. Once again, island chief denies everything.
1330 hrs: Island chief calls Mohamed Hussein, the Minister of Presidential Affairs who is a puppet of the Komandoo island chief and his family, and tells him that the crew from the taskforce dhoani which came had said that they are from Canaryge Relief Centre to give aid to the islanders of Komandoo because of the government's inefficency. The Komandoo island chief's brother is the junior island chief; his cousin is the headmaster of the school there; his brother in law is the magistrate at the island court; his older brother is the Shaviyani atoll chief and all the wealthy traders in Komandoo island are his relatives. They own fishing boats, shops, sell gas, oil and so on. This family has been blessed by Mohamed Hussein to carry out his campaign in Shaviyani atoll which is why Mohamed Hussein is their puppet.
1400 hrs: News breaks that the Taskforce desk of Shaviyani atoll omitted the gas cookers and cylinders donated by well wishers from the list of aid taken to Komandoo. Komandoo island chief's relatives were manning the desk and they did this.
1500 hrs: Defence minister Ismail Shafeeu is notified of the latest development.
1600 hrs: Ismail Shafeeu orders the replacement the people at the Shaviyani desk at the Taskforce centre in Male'.
1630 hrs: Minister of state at the president's office Mohamed Hussein over-rides Defence minister Ismail Shafeeu's orders.
1700 hrs: Cookers and cylinders still not distributed and remain locked in a private warehouse in Komandoo.
1800 hrs: Komandoo residents find out the truth and things get hot.
1900 hrs: Komandoo island chief gets scared and returns the gas cookers and cylinders to the taskforce dhoani crew which came earlier.
2330 hrs: NSS coastguard arrives at Komandoo by order of Mohamed Hussein and arrests the crew of the taskforce dhoani. They were charged with stealing the gas cookers and cylinders, and misleading the public that the aid was from Canaryge aid centre and not from the government. The crew is held at the island office till 4 am the next day.
31 December 0500 hrs: Dhoani crew ordered to return the gas cookers and cylinders to the island chief's house and leave the island immediately.
0600 hrs: When the taskforce dhoani was taking off, the coastguard issued slips of paper to each member of the crew to report to the Villi Fulus Police station in Male' once they arrive back in the capital.
0900 hrs: Defence minister Ismail Shafeeu and Education minister Dr Shaugy were informed of the incident and ask the police chief who was in charge about the incident in Komandoo and the police chief replies that it was by the order of Mohamed Hussein, the state minister of Presidential Affairs. Ismail Shafeeu is shocked and informs Abdullah Hameed (Gayyoom's brother the Minister of Atolls) about the situation. Abdullah Hameed shouts at Ismail Shafeeu who realises that it was a mistake to complain to Abdullah Hameed about this island chief. The Komandoo island chief is another of Hameed's homosexual lovers.
1400 hrs: After Friday prayers, all the ministers and taskforce committee knew about the looting of aid by the Komandoo island chief but could not do anything about it since it was all done with Abdullah Hameed and Mohamed Hussein's blessing.
1600 hrs: Japanese Disaster Relief workers hear about the situation and complain to Ismail Shafeeu and Yaameen and the news officially reaches Gayyoom.
1800 hrs: Taskforce dhoani crew arrives at Male' harbour and a NSS police officer tells them to go home and that there won't be anymore work for them and that they won't be facing anymore charges.
1900 hrs: Komandoo island chief starts selling the cookers and cylinders once again! A nice profit of Mrf69,000 (US$5,400) from aid given in a time of crisis, with the little help from Gayyoom's personal minister Mohamed Hussein and Gayyoom's brother Abdullah Hameed.
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