Assistant Commissioner and head of Hulhumale’ Police, Mohamed Dawood, has been temporarily replaced by Assistant Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed (Tufoh) to lead Hulhumale’ Police operations, as Dawood has gone on leave following the publication of a report by a sub-committee of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee accusing him of major corruption allegations. While Ahmed Mohamed has been temporarily assigned the responsibility starting yesterday, it is not yet clear if any action has been taken against Dawood, whose account has been found to have received unexplained deposits. A senior police official stated that Ahmed Mohamed was temporarily assigned to lead Hulhumale’ Police as Dawood went on leave starting yesterday. Therefore, Ahmed Mohamed will be in charge of Hulhumale’ Police operations until Dawood returns from his leave and resumes his duties.
The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee revealed yesterday that some of Dawood’s family members’ accounts have been flagged for receiving illegitimate funds. Ahmed Mohamed is an officer who was dismissed from the police force in 2021 following a decision by the Police Board but was recently reinstated. Ahmed Nazim, the chair of the sub-committee investigating matters related to Polco, the company operated under the police department, and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, stated today that deposits of unknown sources were made to Dawood’s account in 2023 and 2024. Nazim also mentioned that while police officers are prohibited from engaging in business activities, Dawood does not have any registered business interests.
In addition to this information information, Nazim stated that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has noted additional concerns related to this case. However, as these details are in a confidential ACC report, he cannot disclose that information. Nazim also mentioned that the Asset Recovery Commission’s report on the MMPRC corruption case had also highlighted deposits made to Dawood’s account. He added that Dawood’s name, along with Chief Superintendent of Police Ismail Shameem Adam and two retired officers, Ahmed Shuhad and Hassan Habeeb, were included in a list of 280 individuals suspected in that report.
Nazim said that when the Public Accounts Committee began investigating the Polco case, information shared by whistleblowers revealed that businessman Hassan Taufeeq and Dawood, through their wives’ names, had invested 10.5 million rufiyaa in a real estate venture, constructing a 10-story building at M. Thalamudhige and were profiting from it. He confirmed that a copy of this agreement, registered at the Civil Court, was obtained by the committee. Nazim also stated that they have learned that Dawood purchased an apartment worth 4.1 million rufiyaa from a building constructed by FW Construction. He noted that the payment for this apartment was made in cash, divided into 10 installments.
While serious allegations have been made against Dawood, he was also among the officers that the Police Board recommended for dismissal in 2021. However, when those officers filed a case in the Civil Court at that time, the court halted the implementation of that decision and later invalidated the Police Board’s decision, allowing Dawood to remain in his police position until now.
