Court finds Shamaan Waheed guilty on three counts

The Criminal Court has found former Controller of Immigration Shamaan Waheed guilty of charges related to abusing his official position to extort money from a foreign national.

Judge Ibrahim Ihusan presided over the sentencing of this case at the Criminal Court. The judge shared key findings derived from the investigation and the evidence presented during the proceedings.

The judge stated that police investigations revealed a foreign national, who was taken into detention during an immigration raid with 530,000 Rufiyaa, was released upon Shamaan's direct orders. The judge further noted that evidence has been presented showing immigration officials met the individual on the street and subsequently took the money to Shamaan's residence.

The state informed the court that the foreign national was released late at night following the submission of a fraudulent release letter. According to the prosecution, an immigration officer picked up the individual in an official immigration vehicle, extorted money from him, and subsequently ordered him to leave the Maldives.

The prosecution stated that after the money seized from him was taken to Shamaan's residence, he kept 400,000 Rufiyaa and used it to settle two loans in his name that same day. However, defense witnesses testified that the funds were provided by Shamaan’s father.

Furthermore, it was stated that a portion of the cash discovered at his residence was obtained from the sale of a car. Shamaan's legal team submitted the relevant sales agreement and supporting evidence regarding this transaction, which involved a sum of $10,000.

Shamaan’s defense argued in court that the case was a politically motivated and personal fabrication, orchestrated by Ahmed Lassan, who was also arrested by the police in connection with the matter.

Shamaan's lawyer stated that when Lassan reported the presence of undocumented migrants, Shamaan instructed him to verify the information; however, Lassan proceeded to the location of the migrants on his own initiative instead.

According to Shamaan’s lawyer, it was Shamaan himself who immediately alerted the relevant immigration officials and dispatched them to the scene upon learning of Lassan’s presence there. Furthermore, Shamaan’s legal team emphasized that the available evidence proves Lassan acted alone in forging the letter.

Shamaan's defense maintained that the bag brought to his residence contained only a sandwich. They further noted that this claim was corroborated by the testimony of defense witnesses.

However, the judge stated that the court had found sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the events did not transpire in that manner.

The presiding judge stated that the court has found the defendant guilty of intentionally robbing the foreign national of the funds mentioned in the lawsuit. The judge further noted that the evidence indicates the crime was committed through a conspiracy involving several Immigration officials. Furthermore, the judge highlighted that the prosecution has presented sufficient evidence to demonstrate Shamaan’s direct involvement in these criminal activities.

The presiding judge stated that evidence confirms the foreign national was intimidated in "real-time" under Shamaan's direct instructions. The judge further noted that this was corroborated by the confessions of the other individuals involved in the robbery.

Consequently, the judge ruled that Shamaan's involvement in the robbery had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Furthermore, the judge found him guilty of the additional charge of misusing his official capacity.

Regarding the money laundering charge, Judge Ihusan ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven the case in court.

Regarding the sentencing, the state prosecutor stated that there are aggravating factors in this case which warrant a harsher penalty. The prosecutor detailed these circumstances in court, noting that Shamaan held a high-ranking leadership position within a state institution.

The defense requested the court to impose the most lenient sentence possible for these charges. Additionally, the defense sought to have a portion of the prison sentence converted into a fine.

The next stage of the proceedings will be the sentencing hearing, where the final judgment will be delivered.