Commissioner Hameed “partying” issue warrants no investigation: Police

Maldives Police Service has said that they are not looking into any issue pertaining to the Commissioner of Police, Mohamed Hameed and members of his family, partying while consuming alcohol in Maldivian resorts and other establishments abroad.

The photos of the commissioner and some of his family members surfaced in Ramadan of 2020. Upon being questioned about it by journalists, police had refused to answer any questions.

The photos that were circulated on social media placed the commissioner at a nightclub with his wife, Nazeeha Ahmed, and the photos showed idle bottles of alcohol along with people consuming alcohol around the couple.

When TMJ questioned the law enforcement via a right-to-information request about the nightclub scene the police said that they were not investigating any such case and assured that they will not refrain from investigating any such issues with merit.

Police denied that any such case was reported when TMJ had specifically asked the police whether the issue was probed by their Professional Standard Command. The Professional Standard Command has the authority within its jurisdiction to investigate any questionable activity that surfaces on part of one of their officers without it having to be reported.

Moreover, a citizen had reported the released photos of Commissioner Hameed, to the Prosecutor General's Office, when PG dismissed it saying that such cases must first be reported to the police and must be reported to them only if the police refuse to investigate.

However, Article 223 of the constitution clearly states that should any criminal activity be reported to the PG, the PG Office holds the authority to call for an investigation. Furthermore, the PG himself is allowed the authority to initiate an investigation whenever they see fit.

When the Commissioner's photos were being circulated, former President and now the Speaker of Parliament, President Mohamed Nasheed spoke in his defense. He said that it was a campaign to compromise the commissioner’s diligence and that there was no room for thieves, corrupt crooks and extremists to hijack the government’s progress, work and efforts. President Nasheed had called Commissioner Hameed an honorable commissioner.