No operational flaws on the part of police in relation to Rasheed's death: Minister Ihusan

Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan has stated today that as far as internal investigations conducted so far indicate, there were no wrongful actions on the part of the relevant police officers or the police operation in relation to the death of Abdulla Rasheed.

Abdulla Rasheed died while in police custody in 2022.

Rasheed was taken into custody on October 25, 2022, during a special operation the police was conducting in relation to drug related crimes in Gaafu Dhaal Atoll Hoadehdhoo.

Family alleges that Rasheed died due to being denied medical treatment after he complained to police about a sudden onset of chest pain.

Rasheed was already deceased by the time he was transferred from Hoadehdhoo to the Madaveli Health Centre in the same atoll on a police speedboat.

Although it has been said that the National Integrity Commission (NIC) decided to press charges against officers involved in this case, no such action has been taken to date.

In parliament today, Madaveli MP Hussain Firushan asked Minister Ihusan to explain the reasons for the delay in pressing charges against these officers.

Ihusan responded that a request has been sent seeking the NIC's report on the decision regarding the matter.

Ihusan further said that police had conducted an internal investigation exploring whether there were any operational flaws on the part of the police in relation to this case, and had concluded that there was not any.

"As far as our investigations have reached so far, we have not observed any issues with the actions of the police in their operation. However, if the National Integrity Commission finds otherwise, we will immediately take necessary action," the Minister replied.

The former administration's Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla had also maintained that no police negligence was found in the ca