Minister Ihusaan summoned to Parliament over Parole Board's release of convict serving 25-year drug sentence
7 އޮކްޓޯބަރު 2026 | ބުދަ 07:47Mohamed Ibrahim, the Member of Parliament for North Galolhu, has requested a parliamentary investigation into the unlawful parole release of an individual serving a 25-year sentence for a major drug trafficking offense. Following the dismissal of the entire Parole Board in connection with this case, the MP has proposed a thorough review of the board's decisions and administrative records, while also calling for the relevant minister to be summoned for questioning
Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan. | Raajje MV
Mohamed Ibrahim, the Member of Parliament for North Galolhu, has formally requested Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla to launch an inquiry through the relevant parliamentary committee into the decision to release a convict serving a 25-year sentence for a major drug trafficking offense under parole.
The letter highlighted that the Parole Board's decision on October 1, 2026, to release an individual under parole—who had been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to smuggle 98 kilograms of narcotics into the Maldives on May 19, 2025—was in violation of the Maldives Prisons and Parole Act.
The letter states that although Section 131 of the Prisons and Parole Act mandates that individuals convicted of drug-related offenses under the Drugs Act are only eligible for parole after serving half of their longest sentence, the individual in question was released on parole without having completed half of their court-imposed sentence.
Furthermore, it was noted that although Section 136(b) of the Prisons and Parole Act mandates that an individual's criminal record must be considered when granting parole, there was no evidence to confirm that the individual's record had been adequately reviewed. The letter also stated that during a press conference held at the President's Office on October 6, 2026, Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan announced that the individual had been re-arrested after the Parole Board's decision was overturned due to a failure to fully evaluate the required criteria under the Act. Consequently, all members of the Parole Board have been dismissed from their positions following this decision.
The member emphasized that a formal inquiry by the relevant parliamentary committee into the circumstances of this case is vital to ensuring public safety and preventing such incidents from recurring. Consequently, the member requested the committee to investigate the procedures followed in granting parole and all related matters.
In this regard, a request has been made for the relevant parliamentary committee to obtain and review the complete administrative file concerning this matter. This includes the parole application form, all associated recommendations and assessments, detailed records of the parole eligibility calculations, and the individual's disciplinary records during incarceration. Furthermore, the request seeks access to the Parole Board’s working papers and the official minutes of its meetings.
Furthermore, the request seeks the attendance records of board members, details of their voting patterns, and the official documentation issued regarding the decision to grant parole. The member's letter also calls for all responsible Parole Board members involved in the decision to be summoned before the committee for clarification. Additionally, it requests that Minister Ihusaan and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs be summoned to the Parliament to provide further information.
