Police officer accused of child sexual abuse remanded for 30 days
Police also confirmed that the officer was suspended from duty without pay from the date of his arrest.
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A police officer accused of sexually abusing a child has been arrested and remanded in custody for 30 days, the Maldives Police Service said on Wednesday.
The case was reported to police on 1 June and involves allegations that a child was sexually abused by a person in a position of trust.
Police disclosed on Saturday that the suspect in the case was a serving police officer.
Providing a further update on Wednesday, police said a 49-year-old Maldivian man was arrested on Sunday under a court order in connection with the investigation.
"When presented before the court for a remand hearing, the court ordered him to be detained for 30 days," police said in a message sent to media organisations.
Police also confirmed that the officer was suspended from duty without pay from the date of his arrest.
The investigation is being conducted by the Family and Child Protection Department, while an internal administrative review is also being carried out by the Police Professional Standards Command.
Police initially issued a statement on Wednesday that included the name of the suspect and identified him as a 49-year-old man. However, the statement was later withdrawn and replaced with a revised version that omitted the individual's identity.
Authorities have not publicly explained why the name was removed from the subsequent statement.
In previous cases involving similar allegations, police have released the identity of suspects after a court granted a remand order.
The investigation remains ongoing.
