Fayyaz: Shamaan was imprisoned for blowing the whistle on govt’s corruption

The 25-year prison sentence issued against former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed was punishment for blowing the whistle of the corruption within President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, says former Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail.

The Criminal Court on Tuesday found Shamaan guilty of charges of accomplice to theft by extortion, misuse of authority for personal gain and money laundering. He was sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison.

The case against him was based on the allegation that Immigration officers extorted MVR 530,000 from a Bangladeshi worker who was detained during a crackdown on illegal migration in Male’.

Speaking to reporters before heading in for his sentencing hearing, Shamaan repeated his assertion that the case against him was a frame job carried out on direct orders from Home Minister Ali Ihusan after he informed President Muizzu of his alleged corruption. He also made allegations of corruption against Attorney General Ahmed Usham, and said that President Muizzu refused to take action when he presented evidence of their corruption, and even threatened him.

In a post on X on Wednesday morning, Fayyaz said that what Shamaan said was the reality of the incumbent administration.

“Shamaan was sentenced to prison for revealing the truth,” he wrote.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Shamaan accused Ihusan of extorting money in exchange for granting approval for quotas and work permits for expatriate workers.

Fayyaz accused the incumbent administration of restarting quota fraud, something which he said the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration had put a stop to.

“The incumbent administration sold the country’s border control system to a Malaysian company in order to facilitate this,” claimed Fayyaz.

Shamaan had accused not just Ihusan, but also Attorney General Ahmed Usham of complicity in the alleged corruption in the award of the border control system contract.

“This is a billion Rufiyaa act of corruption. The ring leaders behind this are the top officials of the incumbent administration,” wrote Fayyaz.

ޝަމްއާން އެ ކިޔައިދެއްވީ މި ސަރުކާރުގެ އަސްލު ހަގީގަތް. މިއަދު ޝަމްއާން ޖަލަށް ހުކުމް އެ ކުރީ އެ ވަހާކަތަކުގެ ހަގީގަތް ހާމަކޮށްދިނުމުން. ކޯޓާގެ.ވަގު ވިޔަފާރި އެމްޑީޕީގެ ސަރުކާރުގައި ހުއްޓުވުމުން އެކަން އަލުން ފެށީ މި ސަރުކާރުން. އެކަމަށް މަގުފަހި ކުރުމަށް ރާއްޖޭގެ ބޯޑަރު… https://t.co/4oNEZ1urxg

— Fayyaz Ismail (@faya_i) June 10, 2026

Shamaan had claimed that he had evidence of the alleged corruption in his phone, which was confiscated by the police.

The allegations of corruption have been denied by the chief government spokesperson Hussain Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu), Ihusan and Usham as “baseless”.