Nasheed’s Orders were unlawful: Police Integrity Commission
Action should be taken against for Nasheed’s unlawful Orders.

Police protest at Republic Square is justified demands- PIC

Nasheed issued unlawful order to withdraw police from artificial beach

Police Integrity Commission (PIC) has concluded that the demands of the policemen who assembled at the Republic Square from 6th February evening until 7th February morning calling for the Commissioner of Police to give them assurance in person that he will not issue unlawful orders and to reassure them that no action will be taken against them for the incidents that took place on the 6^th February evening are justified demands in view of how the events unfolded.

The Police Integrity Commission revealed this in a report on the findings and conclusions of the investigation conducted by the commission to determine whether the Police breached any law during the incidents on 6th and 7th February 2012 that led to the change of regime in the Maldives.

According to the Police Integrity Commission, this investigation was conducted by a committee that included all five members of the Commission.  The investigation was conducted through summoning people to the Commission and taking their statements, obtaining phone call logs of those considered to have played a lead role in the events and obtaining the videos of the incidents of the two days.

Witness  statements received  by the Commission's investigation revealed that it was the then President Mohammed Nasheed who ordered the withdrawal  of policemen deployed in Artificial Beach to control the demonstrations there on the night of 6th February 2012. According to the report, statements and video footage received by the Commission show that former  Commissioner of police Ahmed Faseeh,  former  Deputy Commissioner  of police lsmail Atheef, Chief Superintendent Farhad Fikury Chief Superintendent  Mohammed Hameed, Superintendent  lbrahim Adnan Anees  and Superintendent  Ahmed Abdul Rahman worked to implement  the order.

The report revealed that the Commission  believes that the order to withdraw the policemen  at artificial  Beach  without deploying alternative personnel to maintain peace  there was an unlawful  order, and that the decision of the policemen  not to leave the area before the arrival of another  force to maintain  security there was  in accordance  with Article  244 (a) of the Constitution, Article  6 (8) of the Police  Act and the oath of office of policemen since policemen  on duty at Artificial  Beach have told the Commission's investigation  that the demonstrators had concealed sticks and other material  that could be used as weapons,  and since the policemen  there who were in the best position to judge the situation at Artificial Beach had told the investigation  that a physical  clash was  likely there, and since video footage gathered  by the Commission  and statements  received by the Commission  reveal that physical clashes ensued there after the withdrawal of the police and  soldiers. The Commission also stated that they believe that the attempts of the former Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh,  former Deputy Commissioner of Police lsmail Atheel Chief Superintendent Farhad Fikury Chief Superintendent Mohammed Hameed, Superintendent  lbrahim  Adnan Anees and Superintendent  Ahmed Abdul Rahman to withdraw policemen  deployed  at Artificial  Beach before  the arrival of another  force to maintain  security there was in contravention  of Article 2,44 (a) of the constitution,  Article  6 (8) of the police  Act and the oath of office  of policemen.

The Commission also revealed that the decision of the policemen to go to Artificial Beach for the second time was in accordance with Article 244 (a) of the constitution, Article 6 (8) of the Police Act and the oath of office of policemen. And while it was the responsibility of the police to maintain  peace at Artificial  Beach in that situation,  the attempts of the then Commissioner of Police  Ahmed Faseeh and Deputy Commissioner  lsmail Atheef to stop  policemen  going there on their own initiative, without  taking any steps to address  the situation,  were  in contravention of Article 244 (a) of the constitution,  Article  6 (s) of the police Act (5/2008)  and the oath of office of policemen.

The report also said that the statements and video footage reveal that after the return of Specialist  Operations policemen from Artificial Beach following the deployment of soldiers there to maintain  peace  on the night of 6th February 2012, the policemen learnt through Walkie-Talkie that fighting  had ensued between  the two groups of demonstrators  there and that people  were being injured, and they returned  to Artificial Beach to discharge  their duty since there was no one to maintain  security there.

According to the report, statements reveal that the reasons for the attempts of the former Commissioner of police Ahmed Faseeh and Deputy Commissioner lsmail Atheef to stop policemen returning to Artificial Beach were that the policemen were going without an order, that MNDF had taken over security duties at Artificial Beach, and that the policemen were shouting and using abusive language while going.  However, video footage and statements received by the commission reveal that fighting had ensued at Artificial and that MNDF had not taken over the security duties there adequately.