Sentencing set for Tuesday as Shamaan faces multiple felony charges

The verdict in the case against former Controller General of Immigration, Mohamed Shamaan Waheed, is scheduled for 4:00 pm on Tuesday.

The sentencing was initially expected earlier, but was postponed at the request of Shamaan’s defence. The Criminal Court has now fixed the hearing for Tuesday evening.

Shamaan faces three serious charges: accomplice to theft by extortion (which carries a three‑year prison sentence), misuse of authority to obtain a benefit (one year), and money laundering, which carries a sentence of five to 15 years. He has denied all charges.

He was released on bail on December 25 after a period in custody. Since then, he has publicly criticised the government on several political issues, including calling for the resignation of Homeland Minister Ali Ihusaan following the death of a girl at the National University campus.

Shamaan was arrested while serving as Controller General of Immigration, accused of extorting money from foreigners. Several others were arrested alongside him. Police allege that the group took money from foreign nationals in exchange for releasing them.

Shamaan’s mother, father and wife testified in his defence. Their testimony focused primarily on establishing that Shamaan had repaid his student loan using money provided by his father.

The prosecution alleges that Shamaan extorted MVR 500,000 from a foreign national, kept part of the money, and used the remainder to settle his student loan. These allegations form the basis of the charges.

The case has now reached the verdict stage. Some of the individuals arrested with him have entered plea agreements with the state and received reduced sentences.