Nazim shouldn't sit on police housing probe committee: Yameen

  • Maldives
  • Politics
PUBLISHED 29 November 2025

Former President Abdulla Yameen on Thursday said Dhiggaru MP and Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim should not serve on the Finance Committee’s sub-committee investigating alleged corruption in the police housing project.




The “Blue’s Housing Project”, assigned to the Police Cooperative Society (POLCO) to support police welfare, is under investigation over suspected irregularities. Nazim chairs the Finance Committee sub-committee overseeing the inquiry.




On Wednesday, the sub-committee decided to recommend the suspension of seven senior police officers, including Commissioner of Police Ismail Naveen, based on information received during the inquiry.




Yameen said Nazim’s role in the committee constituted a conflict of interest.




“Nazim should look into a constitutional provision. If he has a conflict of interest, he cannot sit in the committee to look into the matter and vote. He is the chairman of the committee,” he said.




Yameen added that:


 






  • Cases involving police should be investigated,







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    Investigations should be handled by the relevant authorities,







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    Parliament is not the place to investigate or impose sanctions,







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    Legal bodies such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and National Integrity Commission (NIC) have the mandate to carry out such inquiries,







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    Allowing individuals with conflicts of interest to lead such processes would create problems.







“They are now judges, they are juries, they are investigators. But who is doing this? We are looking into the cases of those who are responsible by law to investigate criminal cases,” he said.




Yameen said police officers have a legal oath to act when they are aware of wrongdoing and should initiate investigations without delay. He added that this includes cases involving Nazim.




“I also appeal to the police: when you know things are going wrong, do not try to cover matters up. Start investigating, take the initiative and begin inquiries,” he said.




Yameen referred to the incident in August last year in which a young woman fell from a 10-storey building in Malé. Nazim’s step-child died in the incident. Allegations emerged on social media linking Nazim to the case, which he denied.




Police also denied the allegations but faced criticism for releasing extensive personal information while addressing the matter.