Supreme Court overturns registrar’s decision to accept Shamman’s appeal

Supreme Court has decided to accept the appeal filed by former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamman Waheed, who has been jailed pending the outcome of his trial on corruption charges.

Shamman was arrested in a case alleging several Immigration officers misusing their official capacity to illicitly profit from expatriates on March 21^st.

Criminal Court initially remanded him in custody for 15 days on March 22^nd and after that period ended, the remand was extended in April pending the result of his trial.

Shamman had appealed both orders pertaining to his remand with the High Court. However, all three judges who reviewed the appeal unanimously ruled there were no grounds to overturn the remand orders during a hearing held on April 29^th.

Shamman subsequently appealed the decision with the Supreme Court. On May 5th, the Court’s registrar rejected the appeal, stating that it lacked any legal grounds to justify overturning the High Court’s decision.

As such, he requested to review the registrar’s decision.

Supreme Court, on Wednesday, has decided to overrule the registrar’s decision to accept Shamman’s appeal.

Shamman, who was appointed Controller General of Immigration on November 19, 2023, was dismissed from his post on March 20^th in light of allegations of misusing his official capacity.

Police has said it had collected plausible evidence to reasonably prove Shamman’s offenses, and noted that the over half million in Maldivian currency discovered in the former Controller General’s home was misappropriated from an expatriate released from Immigration’s detention on his order.

He has been charged with complicity in robbery, misuse of official capacity and money laundering.

The charges, if proven, carry hefty prison. In this regard, complicity in robbery is punishable by three years, two months and 12 days in prison; misuse of official capacity is punishable by one year, seven months and six days in prison and money laundering is punishable by five to 15 years in prison alongside a fine up to five times the sum used in the offense

Apart from Shamman, PGO has also pressed charges against four former Immigration officers who were arrested in connection to the case:

• Mohamed Alsan Ismail 21, Moonimaage, Th. Buruni
• Ibrahim Ahmed, 37, G. Happy Side, Male’
• Hassan Saheshan, 47, G. Happy Side, Male’
• Ahmed Lassan, 40, M. Hazaaree Villa, Male’

They have also been charged. 

Shamman’s family has alleged he was arrested to thwart any attempts of the former Immigration Controller General publicly exposing corruption cases involving Home Minister Ali Ihusan. The family claims Minister Ihusan initiated efforts to arrest Shamman after coming to knowledge that Shamman had a ‘video’ of the Minister. However, the family did not detail specifics of the said video.

According to the family, Minister Ihusan has committed numerous acts of corruption in running the Home Ministry and overseeing Maldives Immigration.

The family said Shamman brought the allegations to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s attention, despite which no action was taken.

The government has denied these claims.