Decision on Shamaan’s prosecution to be submitted to court this week

The Prosecutor General's Office (PG Office) has revealed that a decision will be made this week regarding the prosecution in the case involving former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed and four officers of the Immigration department.

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) sent the case to the PG Office on May 13 to prosecute the former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed, who was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from an expatriate, three officers of the immigration department, and the person who came to take charge of the expatriate instead of their sponsor.

Five suspects, including Shamaan, have been arrested in connection with the case. The five arrested individuals are Mohamed Shamaan Waheed, 36, Mohamed Alsan Ismail, 21 and native to Buruni island of Thaa atoll, Ibrahim Ahmed, 37, Hassan Saheshan, 47 and Ahmed Lassaan, 40.

When the police refer a case to the Prosecutor General's (PG) Office after an investigation, the case is accepted if sufficient evidence is found. The PG Office has confirmed it has accepted the case and, in line with standard procedure, will take the necessary steps to move forward with prosecution. The case is expected to be submitted to the Criminal Court for prosecution within this week.

The five individuals have been slapped with allegations of bribery, corruption, and money laundering.

The suspects in the case are still in police custody. Among them, the Supreme Court has decided not to accept the appeal of Shamaan's case for detention until the end of the trial.

Regarding the case of allegedly taking illegal benefits from a foreign worker, the police had previously stated that some immigration officers had abused their authority to raid an apartment where foreigners had been living.

According to the police institution, the first to arrive at the scene of the raid operation were three immigration employees who did not have the job responsibility to conduct such operations, and during said operation, seven foreign workers were stopped, and said three immigration employees searched the house.

The police institution also said that later that night, a specialized immigration team was brought in to re-process the scene, seal the belongings of the arrested expatriates, and take them to the Immigration Detention Center.

The police institution said that the investigation revealed that the seven foreign workers arrested in said operation were expatriates whose documents were in order.

The police institution also disclosed suspicions that a foreigner who was taken to immigration detention during the raid was released on Shamaan's order after paying about half a million Maldivian Rufiyaa. They also suspect that the officers who conducted the operation met the expatriate on the street, took the money from him and went to Shamaan's residence.

In connection with the case, the police have searched Shamaan's residence. They took a large amount of money and electronic equipment into police custody from the house.

In connection with the case, the police institution also seized the phone of Shamaan's spouse, Hidhfa Faiz, and banned two individuals from leaving the country.

Shamaan's family has since claimed that he was framed, alleging that the accusations against him came after he informed President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in December 2024 about corruption activities involving Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan.

However, both President Muizzu and Minister Ihusaan have denied the allegations made by Shamaan's family.