High Court dismisses Shifau’s house arrest request as he serves 109 year jail sentence

High Court has dismissed a request by Hussain Shifau seeking to be transferred to house arrest pending the outcome of his appeal against a 109-year prison sentence and a fine of MVR 7 million in relation to his conviction on defrauding foreign companies through the use of forged Telegraphic Transfers (TTs).

The Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office brought a total of 23 charges against Shifau, all of which were proven before the court. On December 18 last year, the Criminal Court sentenced him to 109 years in prison and imposed a fine of MVR 7 million.

Following his conviction, Shifau appealed the verdict before the High Court, seeking a stay of execution and requesting release on bail under house arrest. His legal team argued that his continued detention impeded his ability to exercise his right to appeal, maintaining that he could only adequately prepare his case and consult with his legal counsel if he had access to his documents outside prison.

However, the High Court bench ruled that Shifau’s bail application did not comply with the procedures prescribed under the Criminal Procedure Act. The three-judge bench unanimously determined that there were no legal grounds to grant a stay of execution or permit his release to house arrest on bail.

Despite the 109-year sentence imposed on Shifau, the lower court declined to order the forfeiture of the USD 123,000 he was alleged to have laundered, citing the State’s inability to determine the current location or status of the funds.

Shifau was previously appointed Senior Political Director at the then‑Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, but was abruptly dismissed. While the Chief Spokesperson at the President's Office confirmed his dismissal, no specific reason was provided for the decision.