Naveen says been considering retirement for some time

Commissioner of Police Ismail Naveen, who submitted a letter of retirement today, has stated that he has been considering retirement for a while now, and said there would be 'no right time to retire'.

Naveen made these remarks in a message sent to senior Police officials following his submission of the official request for retirement. 

In the message, Naveen said that he made the decision to retire after deep consideration. 

"I have decided to submit my retirement letter today after thoughtful consideration. This has been lingering in my mind since some time now," he wrote. 

Naveen stated that he believed this is the appropriate time to retire and allow for a smooth transition of leadership. 

"There is no right time to retire in this service if I wait [sic] adding more days!"

In the message, Naveen stated that it has been 'a profound honour' to serve the nation and Maldives Police Service. 

Naveen was appointed Commissioner in June last year following the sudden retirement of former Commissioner Ali Shujau. Shujau's retirement came in April in the wake of heavy public criticism against the police concerning the investigation into the fall of a young woman from a building.

At the time, Deputy Commissioner Farhad Fikry and Assistant Commissioner Ahmed Shameem also applied for the post of Commissioner alongside Naveen. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu selected Naveen from amongst the applicants. 

Naveen also served as Interim Commissioner from April until his official appointment in June.

While Naveen has decided to retire, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has voted to suspend seven senior Police officers, including Naveen. This is in relation to allegations of corruption involving POLCO, the Police welfare company, and several other instances. The parliament is yet to take a decision on the committee proposal.