The former Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has raised concern over the newly proposed Police Services bill that was submitted to parliament.
The bill was submitted to the parliament by Henveiru Hulhagu MP Hassan Latheef. The first reading of the bill was heard during the parliament sitting held Monday.
The current Thimarafushi MP took to popular social media platform Twitter to express his views on the bill. In his tweet, MP Riyaz wrote that the proposed Police Bill restricts operational independence and paves more room for political and institutional influence to policing function. The MP further noted that Maldives Police Services needs to be operationally independent to deliver fair and just service in the current politically polarized society.
Opposing Progressive Party of Maldives, (PPM)'s Vice President and Naifaru MP, Ahmed Shiyam has also criticised the bill decribing it is a “precarious” bill. The bill is prepared to obliterate the existing well-developed system of the police, alleged Shiyam.
Shiyam further alleged that the purpose of the bill is to politicise the police services in a way the current government wishes, and to get rid of the long-serving police officials in a bid to provide its control to certain officials.
“Once the new act is ratified, the systematic policies currently established and its effective practices [of the police] will be destroyed, the whole place will be politicized. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will have the power to change employees as he wishes to, being the Chief of the Police Services”, said Shiyam
Former Commissioner of Police, Abdulla Riyaz
