National Integrity Commission
NIC
Summary
The National Integrity Commission was established on 6 October 2015 under Act No. 27/2015, consolidating and replacing the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) and the Customs Integrity Commission (CIC). Its five members are appointed by the President in accordance with s. 11(a) of the Act for five-year terms; candidates must hold at least a first degree and seven years of relevant experience in one of five designated fields (legal affairs, governance, commerce, human resources, or economics), and may not have immediate family members employed in any of the covered agencies — an eligibility bar that effectively bars serving or former law-enforcement officers from membership. The Commission's jurisdiction covers the Maldives Police Service, Maldives Correctional Service, Maldives Customs Service, and Department of Immigration and Emigration. It may investigate allegations of unlawful conduct by personnel independently (including suo motu investigations, as demonstrated by a 2017 custody-death inquiry), summon witnesses, form investigative task forces, and take administrative action; cases with criminal elements are forwarded to the police for investigation and to the Prosecutor General for prosecution. The Commission lacks binding discipline authority — final action rests with the relevant agency head — and its statutory access to personnel files and body-worn camera footage is not explicitly spelled out, yielding a restricted evidence-access classification. Annual activity reports are published without executive prepublication review.
Independence Scorecard
| Appointment | Executive appointment |
|---|---|
| Term length | 5 years |
| Removal standard | For cause only |
| Budget independence | Executive discretion |
| Subpoena power | Yes |
| Compel testimony | Yes |
| Records access | Restricted |
| Public reports required | Yes |
| Pre-publication review | None — reports published directly |
Statute
- Name
- National Integrity Commission Act
- Citation
- Act No. 27/2015, s. 11(a) (appointment); replaces Police Integrity Commission under Police Act s. 76(b)(3) and Customs Integrity Commission
- Full text
- Full text of law →
Jurisdiction scope
Maldives Police Service, Maldives Correctional Service, Maldives Customs Service, and Department of Immigration and Emigration; investigates alleged violations of laws and regulations by personnel of those agencies, takes administrative action, and forwards criminal cases to the Prosecutor General for prosecution