Press Secretary warns steps will be taken against media operators

Press Secretary of the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair has issued a warning today, that steps will be taken against media operators who "commit the crime of spreading false information".

In a Press Conference held at the President’s Office today, Zuhair said that in the current situation when accusations are made against the government regarding religious issues, if a media operator spreads stories that the government is collaborating with foreign priests in the running of the state, steps will be taken against them.

“How big a crime is, committed by a media operator, is not determined by the government. Posing such stories as truthful, while being aware that they are not, is a crime,” the Press Secretary warned the media.

When questioned about his understanding of the freedom of expression as allowed by the Constitution, and how a media operator can be held accountable for broadcasting information from reliable sources such as political parties, Zuhair said that spreading lies in the name of “freedom of expression” would be a “big crime”.

Zuhair however did not indicate how a media operator can ascertain that information received by a third party is untrue.

He said that broadcasting information which are obviously false should be avoided at all times, as it portrays poor conduct by journalists.

Zuhair also specified the leaders of Gaumee Party and owner of DhiTV Champa Mohamed Moosa, who raise their voices regarding the government’s anti-religious dealings, to stop spreading such stories which “hold no truth”.

“They are outright lies which have got out of control. It does not matter who is talking about these things, be it Dr Jameel or Ahmed Didi (Sandhaanu Ahanmaidhy), or any member of the Champa family, I am telling you to stop doing so. Steps will be taken, rather serious steps will be taken,” Zuhair said.

Defending the President regarding the opposition parties’ responses following his statements that religious extremists exist in the Maldives, Zuhair said that the existence of extremism in the Maldives can be proven by considering the bomb blast in Sultan Park and the case relating to Himandhoo.

“Are you not aware of what happened in Sultan Park? Are you not informed of the incident in Himandhoo where about twenty people clad in helmets attacked our security forces with metal and wooden weapons?”

In addition, Zuhair said that the information given by the President to a foreign media that three islands disappear yearly in the Maldives, is accurate and that several small islands have suffered erosion on several occasions.