Naveen appointed as new Commissioner of Police

Ismail Naveen – who has been serving as the acting police chief for a month - has been officially appointed as the new Commissioner of Police.

The post of the police chief fell vacant on April 26, after Ibrahim Shujau resigned from the role following serial protests in Male’ City over allegations of a police coverup in the investigation into the case of a young woman who was found injured on the rooftop of a warehouse in Male’ on April 18 after falling from the ninth floor of the adjacent building.

The then-Deputy Commissioner of Police Naveen had been serving as the acting CP since then.

Candidates for CP are vetted by the Police Board, and the final appointment is made by the President based on the recommendation of the home minister.

Naveen and two others - Deputy Commissioner of Police Farhad Fikry and South Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ahmed Shameem – had applied for the top role when candidacy opened in May.

The Police Board had decided on Monday that all three candidates qualify for the role.

Sun has been informed that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu appointed Naveen as the CP on Tuesday.

Following Shujau’s resignation, it had been Farhad who was originally appointed as the acting police chief. However, less than an hour later, the role was taken from Farhad and assigned to Naveen instead.

Naveen had also been one of the two contenders for the role back in 2023.