High Court orders the rearrest of Ammaty

High Court has overruled Criminal Court’s decision to release SeaLife Global’s Managing Director Ahmed Moosa Mohamed (Ammaty) from police custody and has also ordered for his rearrest. Ammaty is pressed with multiple charges for defrauding over 200 tenants out of millions in booking fees for a proposed apartment complex in suburban Hulhumale’.

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) appealed the Criminal Court’s decision to release Ammaty at the end of last June - whereas, at a hearing of the appeal case held today, the High Court has ordered the rearrest of Ammaty.

SeaLife announced its 3,000-apartment housing project, the SeaLife Complex in Hulhumale’, back in 2015.

280 tenants paid a booking fee of MVR 50,000 (some more than MVR 50,000). But the SeaLife Complex was never built and the tenants were never reimbursed for their down payments.

The cumulative total of the booking fees collected by SeaLife is estimated to be upwards of MVR 14 million.

When the case was picked up by the local press, Ammaty had fled the country following which an Interpol red notice was issued for his capture in 2019. He was arrested in neighboring Sri Lanka last February.

Ammaty was extradited to the Maldives in March, and had remained in police custody until the Criminal Court had ordered his release on June 17 - declaring the case does not require his detention.  PGO appealed this decision to the High Court citing that he may influence witnesses and is deemed a flight risk.

Ammaty faces a total of 42 charges which are:

• 12 counts of embezzlement under Section 210 (b) (3) of the Penal Code, with reference to Section 215 (a) and Section 215 (b) (2) (i)
• 25 counts of embezzlement under Section 210 (b) (2) of the Penal Code, with reference to Section 215 (a) and Section 215 (b) (2) (i)
• 5 counts of embezzlement under Section 210 (b) (1) of the Penal Code, with reference to Section 215 (a) and Section 215 (b) (2) (i)

He faces 65 years in prison if the charges are proven against him in court.