Police Appeal Committee undecided on Fairoosh dismissal
Decision passed on October 24
Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdullah Fairoosh
Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdullah Fairoosh says the Police Appeal Committee was unable to reach a decision on the appeal filed over his dismissal from Maldives Police Service (MPS).
ACP Fairoosh was dismissed after MPS Disciplinary Board reviewed a tweet he had posted, which they said defamed the Government. He was dismissed on the 24th October.
He filed the case for appeal, which was reviewed on the 16th of this month. Fairoosh reported that while the Disciplinary Board had not given him opportunity to respond to the charges, the Appeal Committee had given the opportunity.
The Committee had spent over an hour reviewing the case. However, RaajjeMV understands the Committee was unable to reach a decision. A tweet posted by Fairoosh noted the failure to arrive at a decision by the Committee clearly showed the Board’s case was not based on any valid grounds. He added that it would not be surprising if changes were made to the Committee after this case.
ACP Fairoosh has been on no-pay leave from December 2014 and currently lives in Australia where he is completing his higher studies.
Fairoosh served as Acting Commissioner of Police following the regime change on February 7,2012, until a new Commissioner of Police could be appointed. Prior to that he was serving as Chief Superintendent of Police. Following the appointment of a new Commissioner, Fairoosh was appointed as Assistant Commissioner of Police.
He was appointed as an Executive Officer at Home Minister in July 2014, mere months before he departed to Australia. The position was created especially for him, with Police stating that he will fill this position in his capacity as a Police officer.
Prior to this, he had served as the head of Police Service Development Directorate and head of Police Intelligence Directorate.
Fairoosh was one of the many senior officers of Police under investigation. Chief Superintendent Mohamed Riyaz had been dismissed from his position, citing close connections to the opposition, while Assistant Commissioner of Police Hussain Adam had been demoted.
