The former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed has been remanded until the end of his trial.

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that Shamaan was arrested under a court order in connection with allegations that some employees of Maldives Immigration were abusing their official authority to obtain undue benefits from foreign workers, on March 22. The Criminal Court ordered his 15-day remand on March 23.

Shamaan was presented before the court and ordered to be detained for 15 days, initially. Following the expiration of his initial remand period, Shamaan was presented before the Criminal Court on Sunday where he was ordered to be detained until the end of his trial.

MPS confirmed that the former Immigration Controller, who was arrested on suspicion of a case being investigated by the police based on information received that employees working at Immigration were obtaining undue benefits from foreign workers contrary to the procedures followed by the agency, was brought to the Criminal Court to extend his detention period, and the court ordered him to be detained until the end of the trial.

RaajjeMV understands that Shamaan filed an appeal case with the High Court regarding his initial remand period. In the case submitted to the High Court on March 26 by Shamaan's legal representatives, it was stated that the Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the standard for allowing an appeal cannot be met by merely claiming that the judge handling the case has made a legal error, or that rights have been violated, or that justice has been obstructed.

In the case submitted by Shamaan, it was stated that while he is suspected of corruption-related money, corruption cases cannot be investigated as money laundering investigations without any progress. It was also stated that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) conducting the investigation without the involvement of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is entirely against the law governing investigations.

However, the High Court stated that although the police institution's suspicion against Shamaan is of money laundering, the order to keep him in remand was issued based on evaluating evidence related to corruption. The High Court also stated that the appeal does not specify which corruption-related evidence was considered when issuing the order being appealed.

The High Court stated that the case submitted by Shamaan does not describe a situation that requires an appellate court to intervene, and therefore the case cannot be accepted.

Shamaan was arrested when he reported to Henveiru Police Station on March 21 to sign the inventory of items seized by the police institution after searching his residence. As a result, critics have been asserting that his “abrupt” arrest was out of fear that the truth of the case might unfold, and that there are hidden issues behind this.

In a statement released by the police institution on March 21 regarding the case, they said that based on information received about some Maldives Immigration employees abusing their official influence to obtain undue benefits from foreign workers, investigations so far have revealed that employees working in sections other than the Task Force and Risk Management Section, which normally handle the responsibility of finding and detaining illegal foreigners, have been misusing their official influence.

In addition to this, the police institution has highlighted that after searching a house where foreign workers were residing, a large amount of cash was taken along with the foreigners who were brought under Immigration's custody.

Further, a day later, on the orders of the then Controller General of Immigration, a foreigner who was brought to Immigration detention with MVR 530,000 was released from detention in the late hours the same day.

In a statement issued by the police on March 21 regarding the case, MPS said that in the investigation conducted in connection with information received that some employees of Maldives Immigration were abusing their official authority to obtain undue benefits from foreign workers, it has been revealed so far that employees working in other sections of Immigration, not the Task Force and Risk Management Section which usually carry out the responsibility of finding and detaining illegal foreigners, are misusing their official authority.

The police institution went on to note that in connection with the case, five people were stopped and searched under a court order, and their electronic devices were taken into police custody. In addition to this, Shamaan's residence was searched, and a large amount of money and electronic devices were confiscated.

The four suspects arrested in connection with the case besides Shamaan are Mohamed Alsan Ismail, 21 and native to Buruni island of Thaa atoll, Ibrahim Ahmed, 37 native to the capital Malé City, and Hassan Saheshan, 47 native to the capital Malé City. They were arrested on the night of March 20. On March 21, Ahmed Lassaan, 40 and native to the capital city, was arrested.

In addition to this, the police institution revealed that in connection with the case, two individuals have been barred from leaving the country under a court order. A phone belonging to a family member of Shamaan was also confiscated, under a court order.

Further investigations are currently underway in connection with the case.