AG to appeal overturn of 5 cops dismissal

Attorney General's (AG) office has decided to file an appeal against the Civil Court's decision to dismiss five of the officers who were among the officers recommended to be dismissed by the police board constituted under the new Police Act.

On August 9, the police board recommended to the police commissioner that it finds the removal of seven police officers conclusive after examining whether commissioned officers are capable of work as mandated by the new law.

As per the recommendation, when the seven officers were dismissed from the police service, five of them filed cases in the civil court and won. The petitioners are as follows:

In its judgment, the Civil Court said that the decision of the police board was illegal and the police board did not have the power to dismiss the police.

During the hearings, the state argued that the removal of the police was within the powers vested in the police board. However, civil judge Abdulla Ali ruled that the board does not have the power to dismiss the accused even if it has the power to decide whether they are competent to work.

The AG's office cited the reason for the decision to appeal the civil court's ruling as it appeared that the Maldives Police Service Act was not properly interpreted in the decision.