Police: We no do dispose of any document or evidence

Police have stated that they do not dispose of any document or piece of evidence they collect during investigations.

The denial comes after lawmakers, during the debate on amendment to freedom of assembly on Monday, said that police were unable to follow through with some investigations because certain documents and evidence collected were disposed of.

Member of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Vilifushi MP Riyaz Rasheed said that Maldives Police Service no longer had any piece of document collected during the investigation of the murder of high-profile politician and Islamic scholar, Dr. Afrasheem Ali.

“Police, today, do not have any documentation of Afrasheem’s case when Abdulla Riyaz had been Commissioner [of Police]. This is of immense concern,” said Riyaz Rasheed.

Police information officer, Ismail Ali said that evidence and documents collected by police were maintained in accordance with certain rules and regulations, and denied that the Maldives

Police Service had disposed of any evidence.

He said that even files deleted from computer systems of individual officers still remained on the MPS network.

“We have very strong rules. And in accordance with these rules, we do not dispose of any document in any case,” said Ismail.

He said that the police only disposed of alcohol and narcotics – and that MPS still maintained records of such cases.