Home Ministry to propose Monitor and Control law for criminal suspects

The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to propose Monitor and Control Notice, a new law that will allow police to keep suspects under their control without holding them in custody.

This was announced by Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer at a ceremony held at Iskandar Koshi today, to launch the Divisional Operation Command (DOC) Conference.

“The law will give special powers to the police, which will allow them to not hold suspects in custody but at the same time, not release them. It is an intermediary stage where the suspects will remain under police control. This is a new regime for Maldives,” said Umar.

Umar said that suspects often have to be released when trial proceedings are delayed in the courts.

“Several criminal suspects are required to wait long periods for sentences to be issued. A person could have three, four, fifteen pending cases, and while he waits for this, he has to be released,” said Umar.

He said that due to the ambiguity of the law on prohibition of intimidation and possession of dangerous weapons, and the law on prohibition of gang violence, only few suspects involved in such crimes have been prosecuted so far. He said that the Monitor and Control Notice regime will fill the gaps in these laws.

Umar said that amendments to the law on prohibition of intimidation and possession of dangerous weapons, and the law on prohibition of gang violence, will be submitted to the parliament soon.

MPs of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Jumhooree Party (JP) have been briefed on the law on Monitor and Control Notice, which is at the final draft stage, and the MPs have ‘more or less’ approved the law, said Umar.

He said that the National Security Council and the President have also been briefed on this law, which will be submitted to the parliament early next month or earlier.

The law, once enforced, will result in significant improvements to the peace and order situation of the country, said Umar.

He added that attempts to introduce new policies will always be criticised, but those who criticise will later applaud when the country achieves peace and order.