The government instructed police last night not to deploy Specialist Operations (SO) officers in any case without direct orders from the Commissioner of Police (CP).
The decision came after the President's Office reviewed an inquiry report on the deployment of SO police to stop the inaugural congress of former President Abdulla Yameen's People's National Front (PNF) party.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu ordered an inquiry after police on Tuesday night acted contrary to his instructions not to deploy SO without his authorization.
The government issued five main instructions to police through the Home Ministry. They were:
- Determine the circumstances where SO police need to engage, and require CP's authorization in those cases as well.
- Restructure the police operational command and control
- Police Professional Standards Command to investigate the deployment of SO police to PNF meeting and to take action against those found culpable
- Review the process of informing the media during operational situations and ensure better transparency
- Use of Force Committee to review use of force by SO police during PNF meeting and to take necessary action
Speaking to some media outlets on Wednesday, President Muizzu said he was saddened by the police conduct on Tuesday night. Police actions in obstructing the PNF congress were wrong, he said.
"While that was the case, what we saw last night was very wrong. I gave very clear instructions that SO police shouldn't be sent at all, shouldn't at all. [That] if they needed to be sent, I would know when the country has reached that point. [That] I would say when such a thing needs to be done," the President said.
The President was at a campaign event when police obstructed the PNF congress. Neither the police nor the Home Minister informed him about the police conduct at Ghiyasuddin despite the instructions not to send SO police, the President said.
"I found out after the event was over and I saw photos in the news of SO police going and putting up barricades there and different things happening. I very much regret it that they went like that on something where there were very clear instructions from me," the President said.
Despite the President's disavowal, PNF leaders accused him of directly ordering police to be deployed to Ghiyasuddin School on Tuesday night. The President claimed to be unaware for "damage control," the PNF said.
