The National Integrity Commission (NIC) has said that a backlog of long-pending cases remains unresolved, citing a shortage of investigators as the obstacle to completing these probes.
During a briefing to the Parliament’s Committee on Independent Institutions regarding its performance last year, the Commission revealed that 196 cases were submitted in 2025. Of these, 160 cases were formally registered, and investigations were initiated.
"We currently have nine investigators. At the beginning of this year, we had only four. This has been a major challenge in progressing cases at the desired speed," said Fatimath Shareef, Vice President of the Commission.
The NIC noted that while many cases remain pending, special priority is being given to clearing the backlog. The Commission further anticipated that as current cases are resolved, the volume of new complaints is expected to increase.
Statistics from last year show that 87 percent of the complaints filed were against the Maldives Police Service. The second-highest number of complaints involved the Maldives Correctional Service.
Of the 196 cases submitted last year, 81 percent were lodged by members of the general public, while the Commission initiated 10 percent of the investigations on its own motion.
The NIC is the statutory body mandated to oversee and strengthen the conduct of the Maldives' law enforcement agencies, tasked with investigating misconduct and taking necessary action.
The Commission holds jurisdiction over all integrity-related matters involving the Maldives Police Service, Maldives Customs Service, Maldives Correctional Service, and Maldives Immigration.
