PGO Instructs Police to Halt Destruction of Casefiles Pending New Guidelines

The Prosecutor General’s Office has instructed the Maldives Police Service not to destroy original casefiles without explicit authorisation from the office.

The directive was issued on Sunday while new instructions are being prepared on the management and destruction of police case records.

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According to the PGO, current regulations on the management of police records specify that casefiles in matters where prosecution has been ruled out may be destroyed within one year. However, the law also allows these files to be used in the prosecution of other criminal cases. The PGO stated that detailed guidance will be provided to investigative agencies to ensure proper handling of such documents.

Under existing rules, the police are required to retain casefiles relating to major criminal cases for a minimum of eight years, and other files for at least three years. These regulations were revised last week to permit the destruction of casefiles within one year where charges are not pursued.

The PGO said it has ordered a temporary halt to any such destruction until the new instructions are finalised.