Homeland Minister Ihusaan says asking police for Shamaan case video was part of his duty

Home Minister Ali Ihusaan on Wednesday said police were asked to provide video footage in the case of former Immigration Controller Mohamed Shamaan, who was arrested on serious criminal charges.  

Shamaan was arrested on the night of March 21 for allegedly using his position to extort money from foreigners. The prosecution has filed three charges against him: participation in robbery, abuse of official position, and money laundering.  

Shamaan’s family alleged his arrest was politically motivated, claiming he was targeted for fear of exposing Ihusaan’s corruption cases. They further alleged Ihusaan knew Shamaan possessed a video of him, though they did not specify what video.  

A witness in Shamaan’s case told the court on Wednesday that Ihusaan had ordered police to hand over CCTV footage from immigration. The testimony came from the immigration officer who delivered the footage to police.  

In a Facebook post, Ihusaan said that as minister in charge of police services and immigration, it is his responsibility to expedite delays. He pledged to continue doing so without exception while serving in the role.  

Referring to the testimony and defense counsel’s statement, Ihusaan argued it was wrong to criticize his request to police, noting delays in receiving footage.  

“The question is if the police asked for help and I did not comply, what would the lawyer say then? It is worrying that lawyers talk about the camera and the person who asked for the footage in an accusatory way instead of seeing the real wrong where it had occurred,” he said.  

Shamaan has been in custody since last Ramadan. His trial began in June, and although he requested bail review, the court has not granted relief. His case has since reached the Supreme Court.  

If convicted of participating in robbery, Shamaan faces three years, two months and 12 days in prison. For abuse of official status, he faces one year, seven months and six days. For money laundering, he faces between five and 15 years in prison, or a fine of up to five times the amount involved.