Police Board summons CP Hameed over drug operation

Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed has been asked to present himself before the Police Board for a review into issues with a counter-narcotics operation conducted by the police.

He has been asked to present himself before the Police Board at 02:00 pm on Tuesday.

Meeting the press on Monday morning, Hameed said he was summoned in connection to a case involving blunders in a counter-narcotics operation.

“Because some state institutions believe the procedure by a police officer during an operation recently in greater Male’ region and a nearby atoll was conducted incorrectly and with ill intent,” he said.

The issue was brought to the Police Board’s attention by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Hameed said that issues arise both during police operations and during trial, but that the police cannot be blamed in all instances where suspects walk free.

“When a blunder takes place, most of the people believe, that when people get loose, when people walk free, when people don’t remain in jail, it doesn’t always happen because of a blunder by the investigative officer of the police institution,” he said.

Hameed said that such cases reveal the many systematic issues that need to be solved.

Hameed said he was glad to see that mechanisms have been put in place to hold people accountable in cases blunders are suspected to have taken place.

The Police Board has the authority to decide whether commissioned officers ranked higher than Superintendent of Police, with the exception of Commissioner of Police, accused of or reported for excessive use of force, inhumane acts or corruption are capable of undertaking their duties.