CP Naveen begins retirement on first day of Ramadan after 3 decades in uniform

Police Commissioner Ismail Naveen, the second commissioner appointed under the current administration, retired from the Maldives Police Service on Wednesday after nearly 32 years in uniform.

Naveen announced his retirement in a social media post, noting that the first day of Ramadan marked his first day outside the service. He said he was leaving the institution with the same respect, trust and love he had when he joined.

Describing his career as a privilege, Naveen said serving as a police officer had been an honour.

Naveen was appointed Commissioner of Police on June 10 last year, following the sudden resignation of his predecessor, Ali Shujau, on April 26. Shujau has also since retired.

Naveen, Deputy Commissioner of Police Farhad Fikry and South Police Commander Assistant Commissioner Ahmed Shameem were the three candidates shortlisted for the post.

In November, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee decided to recommend the suspension of several senior police officers, including CP Naveen, over allegations of violating professional standards. However, the recommendation was not implemented.

Naveen joined the police service on July 7, 1994. He completed higher education at the University of South Queensland in Australia and the University of Northumbria in the UK.