Samih reappointed head of police homicide investigation unit

Chief Inspector of Police Mohamed Samih has been reappointed as head of the Maldives Police Service's Homicide Investigation Unit.

A police media official confirmed the appointment on Monday, stating that Samih had returned to the post as part of organisational changes introduced within the service.

Samih was removed from the position in May 2025 following public criticism over the police investigation into the fall of Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed, a 21-year-old woman who sustained serious injuries after she fell from a building on 18 April 2025.

At the time, Samih also headed the Serious and Organised Crime Department and led the initial investigation into the case. He was among the officers who addressed the media during a closed-door briefing on the investigation.

The handling of the case drew criticism from Yumnu's family and members of the public, with allegations of shortcomings in the police investigation. Amid the controversy, then Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau resigned from office.

The police media official said Samih's reappointment followed structural and administrative changes introduced to the organisation in June.

In an earlier statement, the Maldives Police Service said it was implementing the revised organisational structure by appointing officers to new positions, introducing operational changes and putting the new framework into effect.