Minister: I am not influencing police, former govt leaders would be in jail if I did

(From L-R) Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan. (Photo/President's Office)

Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan insisted at the Parliament on Tuesday that he is not influencing police investigations, adding that former government leaders would be in jail if he did.

Ihusan made the remarks on Tuesday morning as he presented his response to a no-confidence motion that was submitted against him last month with the endorsement of the 12 lawmakers who represent the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) at the Parliament.

He is accused by the MDP of misusing privileged information of citizens on the database of the Department of National Registration (DNR) and other state resources to create fake forms to drive up ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s membership, as well as of exerting political influence over the police service to repeatedly obstruct criminal investigations and prevent the police from performing their legal duties.

Insisting on his impartiality, Ihusan said the police had launched major investigations into multiple state institutions since he took over the Homeland Security Ministry.

Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan responds to a no-confidence motion against him at the Parliament on February 25, 2025. (Photo/People’s Majlis)

“The police are currently investigating the Maldives Correctional Service, Customs, Immigration, Fuel Supplies, HDC, and the Housing Ministry cases,” he said, adding that the police are also investigating the corruption allegations against the Police Welfare Corporation (POLCO) in the police housing project.

“If I were to exert political influence on the police, all the leaders of the former administration would now be in jail. It is because I am not exerting political influence that they remain free.”

Ihusan said the former leaders remain free “not because they haven’t done anything wrong.”

He added that the police were investigating them “within the bounds of the powers of the police.”

“I will not exert political influence. Nor do I need to.”

The police had launched the investigation into the state institutions last year, but have yet to conclude the investigations and have not provided any updates.