Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed has stated the plain-clothed police officers involved in manhandling a suspect would be suspended and investigated.
In a tweet following a video going viral in which plain-clothed police officers were seen manhandling a suspect inside a house in Male' City, the police commissioner said the incident took place during a search operation under a court warrant, adding the actions of the officers were unacceptable.
Commissioner Hameed further said in addition to activating all internal mechanisms, he had requested the President of the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) to investigate the case. Hameed said the names of the officers involved in the operation have been submitted to HRCM. He reiterated the culture of police brutality needs to come to an end.
In another tweet, the commissioner revealed that he had met with the police officers involved in the incident. Hameed said the police are conducting an internal investigation, while the HRCM and the National Integrity Commission (NIC) are also conducting separate independent investigations. He said the police would not tolerate any form of torture.