Over 50 police officers penalized, 20 dismissed for misconduct

Some 20 officers have been dismissed from the police force this year due to misconduct, according to Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau.

In an interview that aired on PSM on Friday, Shujau said that as per laws and regulations, the police service is designed to operate as an independent institution free from any and all influence.

Shujau said that he is therefore working to ensure that all officers who join the police service work in line with laws and regulations.

“But to be honest, we have been accused of making certain decisions under influence,” he said.

Shujau said that such allegations are being investigated and the perpetrators being taken action against from within the system.

“If we look at the statistics this year, action has been taken against over 50 police officers following investigations into allegations of misconduct, including those raised from within the community and via social media. 20 of these police officers were dismissed from the Maldives Police Service,” he said.

Shujau did not provide any details, but said the police are fully cooperating with investigations conducted by police watchdogs.