Commissioner of Prisons Abdulla Munaz has stated that action will be taken against the officers who used excessive force on inmates once they are identified.
The Commissioner was summoned to the parliament committees on National Security and the committee on Human Rights and Gender over the unrest that occurred at Maafushi Prison on Thursday night, during which six inmates and Corrections officers were injured.
Although the Home Minister was also summoned to the committee along with Munaz, neither the Minister nor any representatives form the ministry attended the committee on Saturday night.
During late Saturday's committee meeting, the CP said in answer to a question asked by Hinnavaru MP Jeehan Mahmood that the officers who injured the inmates have not been identified thus far. Necessary action will be taken against the officers once they are identified, said Munaz.
Munaz further said while officers will be active in an operation on the orders of the commander, whether the officers used excessive force on the inmates on the command of the commander or on their own accord are irrelevant, and the commander has to bear responsibility for the action of his sub-ordinates. While the commander himself is not aware which officers assaulted the inmates, it prompted the decision to suspend him, he said.
"The [commander] was unable to identify which officers inflicted the injuries. If his report had stated that he specifically ordered his sub-ordinates not to inflict any injury on the inmates, then we wouldn't have had to hold him responsible. In order to identify the officers who used excessive force, we are first placing the commander under suspension. I inquired from the Officer General this evening if the officers have been identified yet. I was told no. If he had been able to tell me names of specific officers, I would have immediately suspended them. When we are able to identify them, we will suspend them", said Munaz.
While reports of the heads of inmates being shaven during the unrest have been circulating on media, Munaz said their hair was shaven off according to a rule that was made in 2015. Under the rule, all inmates must have neatly trimmed hair and beards which are not longer than one inch. However, due to less number of officers stationed at the prison, the rule is not effectively enforced, he said, and admitted that the time and place to enforce the rule was not during the unrest.
Munaz also denied reports that inmates were cuffed and had their genital areas sprayed with pepper spray, and said an inmate has confirmed that it did not happen. However, both inmates and corrections officers have said that pepper spray was used before entering the prison.
Commissioner of Prisons Abdulla Munaz - Photo: Majlis
