President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed as the interim in-charge of Maldives Police Service.
The appointment was made after promoting him to the position of Deputy Commissioner of Police. The appointment was made by the power bestowed upon the president under Article 54 subsection (b) of the Police Act. The appointment comes in the wake of a December 4 Supreme Court verdict that instructed to reinstate Hameed to the position of Acting Commissioner of Police.
In 2012, Hameed, who was then serving as the Chief Superintendent of Police in charge of Police Intelligence was removed from the position after being charged with leaking confidential information about the institution. However, the Supreme Court declared Hameed was dismissed outside set procedures and should be reinstated to the same position or a position of the same level.
Meanwhile, the president has also dismissed Hamdhoon Rasheed from the position of Commissioner of Police. Hamdhoon was appointed as the Commissioner of Police to fill the vacancy left when former acting Commissioner of Police Abdulla Navaz resigned in the wake of the former President's defeat in the September presidential polls. The change was made during the transitional period.