Police Commissioner Areef dismissed

Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Areef has been dismissed from his position.

Speaking at the press conference at the MNDF HQ by the government following the Supreme Court ruling tonight, the Attorney General, Mohamed Anil said that the President Yameen has repeatedly attempted to contact the Commissioner Areef with no avail.

And so with failure to keep in contact with the President, under the law of Police and the authority of the President, Commissioner Areef has been dismissed from the position tonight.

Attorney General, Anil, said that the acting head of the police is the Deputy Commissioner, Ahmed Saudhy.

Spokesperson of the President's Office, Ibrahim Muaz Ali, confirmed the change via Twitter tonight.

Areef was appointed as the Commissioner of Police after dismissing then Commissioner, Hussain Waheed, during the course of the investigation into the IED explosion on board the Presidential Launch.

Waheed was replaced on 23 October 2015.

Areef was appointed as the Commissioner on that day and began the duties of the office. However, he was officially presented the letter of appointed on 3 December 2015 by the President, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Former Deputy Commissioner, Areef, had filled other prominent offices within the police institute including the Head of Police Intelligence.