Shamaan appeals 25-year prison sentenced to High Court

Former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed has formally appealed his 25-year prison sentence at the High Court.

Last June, the Criminal Court sentenced Shamaan to a cumulative 25 years in prison after finding him guilty of three offenses: accomplice to theft by extortion, misuse of authority for personal gain and money laundering. The case involved the detention of a group of foreign workers in an illegal operation carried out alongside several Immigration employees, during which MVR 530,000 was extorted from one of them.

Although the appeal has been filed with the High Court, it remains unclear whether the court has formally accepted the cases for consideration.

Shamaan’s family previously alleged that his arrest was a pre-emptive measure by the authorities aimed at preventing him from disclosing information concerning alleged corruption involving Home Minister Ali Ihusaan. The family also claimed that the Minister sought Shamaan’s detention after learning that Shamman was in possession of a compromising video involving him.

The lengthy prison sentence was handed down on a day when Shamaan appeared in court after making serious allegations against the current administration.

Former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has described the 25-year sentence as an unjust and disproportionate political judgment. Former Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail similarly said the severity of the sentence was a direct consequence of Shamaan’s alleged exposure of the internal affairs of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration.