EC: Police uncooperative in the investigation of counterfeit forms

Elections Commission (EC), on Tuesday, has stated that police are uncooperative in the investigation of counterfeit forms submitted requesting membership in political parties.

Members of EC were summoned to Parliament’s Committee on Independent Institutions on Tuesday. EC’s member Ali Nashath said that he was present in the last meeting the Commission has held with Maldives Police Service.

Nashath detailed that during the meeting, police had stated that the authority lacked adequate equipment to compare fingerprints.

“Back then, we were undertaking two processes. First process was sending the counterfeit forms to police. The second process sending all forms (complaints have been submitted over) to the police. But on the day, the understanding we both had come to was cease sending of the forms,” he had said.

Apart from this, Nashath said that during the aforesaid meeting – police had stressed that they have to file the forms sent to lack of adequate equipment.

“But there is no obstruction to filing complaints when it comes to individual persons. If a complaint is filed, the police will review it,” he added.

Speaking on the matter, Committee’s Chairperson, Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam said that stealing a person’s signature is not a small matter.

“Even for admittance to a party, it is a major international level fraud, right? Hence, police cannot say that they cannot investigate this,” she had said.

Rozaina said that there should be a way the person submitting the counterfeit form can be fined.

“I do not believe fining the party’s registrar is the most comprehensive action. Instead of this, the person forging the signature should be fined,” she stressed.