Shujau appointed as new police chief

Ali Shujau, who was previously serving as the Assistant Commissioner of Police, has been appointed the new Commissioner of Police.

Shujau was presented with his letter of appointment by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Monday morning.

Shujau has served the Maldives Police Service for an extended period, and received his Master of Management from the International Islamic University, Malaysia. He is also an FBI graduate at the FBI National Academy Session 277, affiliated with the University of Virginia, United States.

The deadline for the vacant position of the police chief had expired last Tuesday. Two police officials applied by the deadline; Shujau and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ismail Naveen.

The candidates were vetted by the Police Board, which, on Sunday, nominated Shujau for the post.

The top position at the police force fell vacant after former Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed had retired on November 15. Then-Deputy Commissioner of Police Abdul Mannan Yoosuf had been appointed as Acting Commissioner of Police following Hameed’s retirement. But Mannan himself retired a little over a week later, and was replaced by Assistant Commissioner of Police Farhad Fikry.

The Police Act does not empower the president to directly appoint a police commissioner. Instead, the law dictates that applications must be opened for 90 days, for which police officials ranked assistant commissioner or above are applicable. The candidates will be vetted by the Police Board, after which the president will make the appointment under the advisement of the cabinet minister in charge.