The parliament, on Tuesday, passed a report recommending President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to dismiss National Integrity Commission (NIC) president Ahmed Sulaiman.
The report, compiled by the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions, was approved by 58 MPs that participated in the vote.
Overall, the report pushed for the dismissal of four NIC members including Vice President Hassaan Hameed, Khadheeja Abdulla and Ahmed Ameen, in addition to the commission's president.
However, the other three members submitted their resignations after the parliament approved a proposal on July 8, advising President Solih to dismiss them.
NIC's failure to investigate police negligence concerning the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan, despite probable cause for suspicion, was stated as one of the key arguments for dismissing the four members.
Additionally, the parliamentary committee's report stated that the commission had yet to launch an inquiry into allegations of a police officer injuring a citizen in a house located in the capital city of Male'.
The report further noted that NIC had not responded to the parliamentary committee's request for information on how the commission would ensure undisrupted operations amid the State of Public Health Emergency declared over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Excluding Sulaiman, only Colonel (Retired) Ahmed Jihad remains as a NIC member. He was appointed in late 2019 by the incumbent administration.
NIC acts as a watchdog for four state institutions: Maldives Police Service, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Maldives Correctional Service, and Maldives Customs Service.
As per the National Integrity Commission Act (27/2015), only the president can appoint and remove individuals from NIC.
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