The Parliament on Monday passed an amendment to the Police Service Act to require background checks before giving police jobs.
The amendment to the Police Service Act was moved by Hithadhoo North MP Mohamed Aslam. It states that police jobs are important jobs related to the national security of the Maldives and the safety and security of the public. Therefore, before any employee is appointed to any job in the police service, his or her background should be checked in accordance with the rules on employment of police service employees made under the Act.
The bill was passed as per the Security Services Committee's decision with 43 votes in its favour.
As per the amendment, criminal records and a background analysis are required to check the background of applicants for police jobs. If further analysis is required, it can be carried out using polygraph or other means. A polygraph is a machine used to determine whether a person is telling the truth in answer to questions.
In addition, the Commissioner of Police will be given the discretion to postpone until March 27, 2024, the implementation of the provision in the Act requiring every person authorized to conduct investigations to hold a minimum diploma level qualification recognized by the Maldives Police Service in an investigation-related field.
