Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan addressed Parliament on Tuesday in response to a no-confidence motion filed against him, firmly rejecting accusations that he has been exerting political influence over police investigations. Ihusan’s comments came after the motion, endorsed by 12 lawmakers from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), accused him of misusing privileged government data for political purposes and obstructing law enforcement.
In his defense, Ihusan emphatically denied the claims, stating that if he had been influencing the police, former government leaders would already be incarcerated. “If I were to exert political influence on the police, all the leaders of the former administration would now be in jail,” he said, adding that their freedom was a testament to the fact that he has not interfered in any criminal investigations. Ihusan was adamant that the former leaders remained free “not because they haven’t done anything wrong,” but because of his adherence to impartiality.
The no-confidence motion, which was submitted last month, accuses Ihusan of using citizens’ personal information from the Department of National Registration (DNR) and other state resources to manipulate forms that inflated the membership of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC). The opposition MDP has also claimed that Ihusan has repeatedly obstructed police investigations, preventing the police from fulfilling their legal duties.
In response, the minister highlighted ongoing police investigations under his tenure that span multiple state institutions. He pointed out that the Maldives Police Service is actively investigating several high-profile cases, including those involving the Maldives Correctional Service, Customs, Immigration, Fuel Supplies, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and the Ministry of Housing. He also referenced investigations into corruption allegations related to the Police Welfare Corporation (POLCO) and its involvement in a police housing project.
