Andrew Hughes (police)

Andrew Charles Hughes APM (born 6 June 1956) is a senior officer of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) who, until recently, served as the Chief Police Officer (CPO) for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The CPO position is similar to the role of Australian Commissioners of Police, that is, the chief executive of the ACT Policing component of the AFP. ACT Policing forms one of the larger operating components of Australia's national policing agency, the Australian Federal Police. He was also Commissioner of Police in Fiji from 2003 to 2006.

Hughes served as an Assistant Commissioner of the AFP, holding the position of Deputy Chief Police Officer of the Australian Capital Territory. Prior to this appointment, Hughes was the General Manager of International and Federal Operations.

The AFP nominated Hughes for the role of Fiji Commissioner of Police following a request by the Fijian Constitutional Officers Committee. Under the Fijian constitution, the office of Police Commissioner need not be held by a citizen, and in the wake of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which the elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry was deposed, it was thought that a non-citizen would be better able to present an image of fairness and impartiality in the prosecution of coup-related cases. His predecessor, Isikia Savua, had been accused by the former President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, of complicity in it. Ratu Sir Kamisese resigned (allegedly under pressure from the Military and police) in the midst of the coup.

Since 2003, Hughes vigorously pursued investigations against high-profile citizens in connection with the events of 2000. His targets included chiefs and politicians, including some government Ministers. His relationship with the government was at times strained, and he periodically clashed with the Home Affairs Minister, Josefa Vosanibola. His areas of disagreement with the government included the controversial Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, which proposed to establish a Commission empowered to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the coup; Hughes expressed serious reservations about the amnesty provisions. He also opposed government attempts to cap expenditure by the police and the Military. He was once widely regarded as an ally of the Military Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, but relations between them deteriorated in 2006 to the point where Bainimarama demanded his resignation in November.

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