Mannan and Ali Rasheed retired, Faruhad appointed as Acting Commissioner of Police

Assistant Commissioner Faruhad Fikree has been appointed as the Acting Police Commissioner since Deputy Police Commissioners Abdul Mannan Yoosuf and Ali Rasheed retired from their positions.

Minister for Homeland and Security Ali Ihsan informed Mihaaru News on Saturday that until someone is officially appointed as the Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner Faruhad will be assuming this responsibility. He said that Faruhad was appointed to this position based on the recommendation of the police board.

“According to the law, the police commissioner has to be appointed quickly,” the Minister said.

According to the Police Service Act, if the post of Commissioner of Police becomes vacant, the position must be filled within 45 days from the date it became vacant. The appointment is required to be made by the police board based on the information about the person and the names recommended to the Minister by the President.

Only members of the police service that are ranked above Assistant Commissioner of Police can be appointed for this position, according to the Police Service Act.

Faruhad, who has been appointed Acting Commissioner, was one of the seven people who were dismissed from service by the police board constituted under the Police Service Act on August 10, 2021. They were removed from the police board after a probe made to investigate whether, with the exception of the police commissioner, those ranked above a Superintendent of the Police had misused their positions within the police force. However, the Civil Court later rules that Faruhad was dismissed from his position unjustly.

However, during the previous administration, the Attorney General's Office challenged the Civil Court's decision in the High Court. However, the High Court is yet to take a decision on the matter.

Mohamed Hameed, the Police Commissioner during President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration, retired from police service on November 15. Since then, Mannan has been serving as the Acting Commissioner. He was appointed Deputy Commissioner by former President Solih on November 19, 2018, and has dedicated 29 years of service to the police force.