President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has on Tuesday appointed Major General Abdulla Shamaal to the post of Chief of Defense Force.

On Tuesday, President Solih dismissed former Chief of Defense Force Major General Ahmed Shiyam and his Vice Chief Ahmed Shahid from their posts.

RaajjeMV understands that President Solih also appointed Brigadier General Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef to the post of Vice Chief of Defense Force following Shahid’s dismissal.

Major General Shamaal was appointed to the post at the State Ministerial level and Latheef was appointed at the Deputy Ministerial level.

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) suspended Shamaal from his position as the Commandant of Training and Doctrine in 2013 for provoking enmity and disorder within the military ranks. He was also accused of disseminating confidential information to the public without authorization.

The High Court had on Tuesday ordered to reinstate Shamaal after declaring that he was suspended unlawfully. The court order also states that Shamaal must be granted the allowances and earnings for the duration of his dismissal.

Shamaal has served in the military for over 25 years.