Members of main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have taken to social media to express their outrage over Commissioner of Police, Mohamed Hameed expressing his "sincere thanks" to former Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr. Abdulla Fairoosh following his retirement on Saturday.
CP Hameed posted a Tweet with a picture of Fairoosh, saying that Fairoosh had provided "invaluable services" to the police establishment over his 20 years of service.
Fairoosh assumed the position of Acting Commissioner of Police following the armed mutiny that toppled Former President Mohamed Nasheed's government on 7 February 2012. Accusations followed that Fairoosh had had a direct hand in orchestrating the discord that led to the mutiny, and CP Hameed had earlier expressed his support for the allegations that surfaced against Fairoosh.
MDP members including its leadership declared their grievances against the police commissioner with regards to his tweet on social media, with MDP Parliament member for North-Maafannu constituency, Imthiyaz Fahmy tweeting an audio of CP Hameed recounting a conversation he witnessed involving then-Chief Superintendent Abdulla Fairoosh, where Fairoosh described having prepared a team to enter the MNDF Complex to "present President Nasheed with an ultimatum" on the night of 7 February 2012.
In addition to this, the MDP Member of Parliament for Velidhoo Constituency tweeted a video from the same night of Fairoosh addressing the public on the street following the overthrowal of the Nasheed government.
MDP Chairperson and Member of Parliament for the West-Henveiru constituency also expressed his displeasure at CP Hameed, tagging the commissioner in a reply to his tweet about Fairoosh by saying that he should be ashamed.
Member of Parliament for the Dhaandhoo constituency Abdulla Yauqoob also replied to CP Hameed's tweet, saying that his actions were shameful and distorted the narrative of the clear mutiny organized by armed forces on 7 Feb, and that this indirect endorsement was in no way acceptable to the people.
Fairoosh was suspended later in 2017 for allegedly defaming then-President Abdulla Yameen and his government while abroad completing his higher education. He was reinstated by the incumbent president back in 2019 and promoted to his now former post of assistant police commissioner.
