Shamaan alleges judge given prior orders to jail him, schedules press conference ahead of sentencing

Former Controller General of Immigration, Mohamed Shamaan Waheed alleges that the judge has been given prior orders to imprison him, and announced he will be holding a press conference on Tuesday afternoon ahead of his sentencing hearing at the Criminal Court.

The court is scheduled to issue its verdict in the corruption case against Shamaan at 04:00 pm.

In a post on X on Tuesday afternoon, Shamaan said he plans to share some information with the press at 03:30 pm, before heading to the court for his hearing.

“I will be taken straight to Maafushi [Prison] from the court. The order has been issued to sentence me to prison,” he added.

Shamaan did not disclose any details regarding the information he planned to share with the press.

ތިޔަ ބޭފުޅުން ބޭނުންފުޅުވާ ބައެއް ވާހަކަތައް 1530 ގައި ހިއްސާކުރުމަށްފަހު ކޯޓަށް އަޅުގަނޑު ވަންނާނަން. ކޯޓުން ދެން ގެންދާނީ މާފުށްޓަށް، ޖަލު ހުކުމެއް ކުރުމަށް ވަނީ އަންގާފަ.@VaguthuOnline @DhiyaresNews @Dhaurunews @AdhadhuMV @nukuthaaonline @XefroX @viraasee @MvCrisis

— Mohamed Shamaan Waheed (@ShamaanW) June 9, 2026

Shamaan has been pressed with serious felonies that would land him behind bars for a long time; an accomplice to theft by extortion – which carries a three-year prison sentence, misuse of authority to obtain a benefit – which carries a one-year prison sentence, and money laundering – a charge that carries a prison sentence of between five to 15 years.

Shamaan was dismissed from his role as the head of Maldives Immigration on March 20, 2025. In a statement shortly after the news of his dismissal broke, the police said they were investigating a case involving “several employees of Maldives Immigration who misused their authority to gain undue benefits from expatriate workers.”

Investigators raided Shamaan’s residence in Male’ the same night, and seized MVR 257,475, USD 10,000 and cash in other foreign currencies, as well as electronic devices.

He was arrested the next day after he arrived at the Sergeant Adam Haleem Criminal Investigation Building for questioning.

He was initially jailed pending the outcome of his trial, before being granted conditional release on December 25.

Shamaan is accused of extorting money from expatriates, including MVR 500,000 from a Bangladeshi worker. He is accused of pocketing half of it, while paying off his student loan with the rest.

These allegations are denied by Shamaan’s family, including his wife Hidhufa Faiz, who has described it as a frame job.

The family claims that Shamaan was framed by Home Minister Ali Ihusan because he has evidence of corruption by the latter, including an incriminating video. The family also said that Shamaan had alerted President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to the alleged corruption via a letter back in December last year, including corruption in issuance of quotas and work permits for expatriates.

During trial, his parents and wife testified that he had borrowed money from his father to pay off his student loan.

The state also prosecuted four other former Immigration officers in connection to the case, some of him signed plea deals in exchange for lighter sentences.