Hameed confirmed as police chief

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih appointed Tuesday acting police chief Mohamed Hameed as the commissioner of police.

‘MC’ Hameed was appointed as the interim in-charge of the Maldives Police Service in December after he was promoted to deputy commissioner.

The appointment came shortly after Hameed returned to the Maldives Police Service as assistant commissioner.

Former police chief Hamdhoon Rasheed, who had been appointed by former president Abdulla Yameen in the wake of his defeat in September’s election, was dismissed after a brief tenure.

After six years, Hameed, the former head of the intelligence department, rejoined the police force in December after the Supreme Court ruled his dismissal in August 2012 on suspicion of leaking confidential information was unfair.

The Police Act requires the police chief to be appointed from within the highest ranking officers.

Following his appointment, Home Minister Sheikh Imran Abdulla praised Hameed as “a very capable person” for the commissioner post.

“This is an important step to further strengthen the work of the MPS,” he tweeted.