Umar Naseer says PAC lacks authority to recommend suspension of senior police

Former Home Minister Umar Naseer has said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament does not have the jurisdiction to recommend the suspension of senior police officers, including Commissioner of Police Ismail Naveen.  

The PAC meeting on Wednesday was held behind closed doors, citing national security concerns. Sun has learned that the committee recommended suspending seven officers for allegedly violating professional standards:  

• Commissioner of Police Ismail Naveen  

• Assistant Commissioner Moosa Ali  

• Assistant Commissioner Ahmed Abdul Rahman  

• Assistant Commissioner Mohamed Rasheed  

• Assistant Commissioner Mohamed Basheer  

• Assistant Commissioner Mohamed Dawood  

• Superintendent Ismail Shameem Adam  

Speaking to Sun, Umar argued that such matters fall under the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), not the PAC. “It is not the role of the Public Accounts Committee. The role is the role of the ACC. The PAC is not supposed to do that. The President will then take action if he does,” he said.  

Umar added that the move reflects “the extent of corruption within the state,” claiming that every case is investigated only at the point of termination and that the state fails to recover rightful compensation. He described the situation as “very sad,” alleging that corruption runs “from top to bottom” across institutions, including the ACC.  

He stressed that the police, as the frontline agency, must uphold integrity, but warned that public confidence in the force has eroded.  

The allegations against ACP Dawood were raised by Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim at a sub-committee reviewing audit reports of the police housing project. Nazim alleged that between 2023 and 2024, large sums entered Dawood’s account, resulting in assets worth MVR 14.6 million. Dawood has denied the claims, accusing the Professional Standards Command of framing him.  

Dawood, who headed Hulhumale' police at the time, was removed from his post on November 1 and replaced by ACP Ahmed Mohamed. Separately, ACP Ahmed Shifan has been accused of attempting to frame two police executives, but Parliament decided not to pursue the matter due to his ties with Deputy Speaker Nazim.  

The police department has faced mounting criticism over its handling of cases involving senior officers, with growing public concern about trust in the institution.