Police commissioner designates July 23 as “Police Memorial Day”

The Maldives Police Service has announced that July 23 will be set aside to commemorate the lives of officers who have fallen in the line of duty, according to local media.

Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz said that a Police Memorial Day would be held every year on July 23 in honour of those officers who had lost their lives.

The Sun Online news service yesterday reported that the comments were made during a special commemoration service for Lance Corporal Adam Haleem, who was killed after trying to arrest his suspected killer. The attack occurred on July 23, 2012.

According to Commissioner Riyaz, Haleem’s murder was the first murder of an on-duty officer since 2008. The murder has been politicised by supporters on both sides of the country’s political divide, even as investigations into the death were ongoing.

The commissioner also used yesterday’s ceremony to draw attention to the deaths of other officers killed on duty.

These officers include Lance Corporal Ali Nazim, killed by an accident at sea during a rescue mission on September 21, 2006 and Constable Yoosuf Zameel, who died while travelling on March 13, 2007 as he travelled from Male’ to Dhoonidhoo.

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