Three prison officers involved in smuggling racket sign plea deals

Three of five officers from Maldives Correctional Service charged for running a large-scale smuggling racket at the Maafushi Prison have signed plea deals with the state.

In June, the police announced that a special investigation uncovered the involvement of at least 18 officers from Correctional Service in a large-scale smuggling network based in Maafushi Prison.

The officers were found to have amassed at least MVR 73 million from smuggling drugs, phones and other contraband into the prison.

The police requested charges against 13 of the officers. The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) filed charges against five of the officers, but found the evidence insufficient to prosecute the other eight.

Two of the officers were pressed with three charges; misusing official capacity, money laundering and illicit enrichment. They are:

• Jinah Abdul Raheem, Ivory House, R. Ungoofaru
• Ali Hisham, Beach House, K. Maafushi

The other three were pressed with two charges; misusing official capacity and illicit enrichment. They are:

• Ali Nazim, Tharaange, HDh. Neykurendhoo
• Mohamed Fathooh Fathuhulla, Kulhavahge, GA. Villingili
• Ali Ashfag, Kamineege, N. Landhoo

Nazim, Fathooh and Ashfaq have signed plea deals with the state.

A spokesperson from the PGO told Sun on Tuesday that the office is empowered by the law with the option to sign plea deals with suspects who confess to their crimes and ask for one.

The spokesperson stressed that the suspects will be prosecuted regardless of the plea deal.

“They will be prosecuted even if they sign plea deals. And they will be punished when found guilty,” said the spokesperson.

He said that the only difference is in sentencing. He said that they will be sentenced in accordance with the terms of the plea deal. However, he declined to disclose details regarding the plea deal.

The police investigation into the prison smuggling racket remains ongoing. The PGO has previously said that the office will make a decision regarding prosecuting additional suspects in the case once the police finish their investigation.

The suspects in the case include both former and incumbent employees of Correctional Service.

The decision to sign a plea deal with three of the suspects comes after Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan promised that all involved in the smuggling racket will face justice.

The smuggle of drugs, phones and other contraband into the prison is a longstanding issue. While some prison officers have been arrested in the past for involvement in such crimes, this marks the single biggest such bust in the country’s history.