President Mohamed Muizzu has appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau as the new Commissioner of Police, thereby filling the position that had been vacant for 40 days. The vacancy was a result of the retirement of the former commissioner, Mohamed Hameed, on 15 November.
During the interim period, the position’s responsibilities were shouldered by Assistant Commissioner of Police Farhad Fikry. Shujau’s appointment came 38 days after the inauguration of the new government.
The role of the police commissioner saw competition between two candidates, Shujau and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ismail Naveen. The deadline for the submission of nominations was 19 December. Following the closure of nominations, the Police Board identified Shujau as the suitable candidate for the role and forwarded his name to the Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan.
Shujau, who has been serving in the police force since 1997, held the position of Chief of the Central Policing Command of the Maldives Police Service (MPS) prior to his new appointment. His previous roles within the MPS have been diverse, including head of the Professional Standard Command, Service Development Directorate, Divisional Operations Command, Information and Communications Directorate, and the Family and Children Protection Department.
Shujau’s academic credentials include postgraduate studies in management from the International Islamic University, Malaysia. He is also an alumnus of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy Session 277, affiliated with the University of Virginia, United States, according to the President’s Office.