Shameem warns that state failure in cases like Fairish could push the public toward gangs for protection

Former Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem has warned that the state’s failure to act decisively in cases like that of Fairish, the man accused of repeatedly harassing residents in Male', could erode public trust in the criminal justice system and ultimately empower gangs and criminal groups.

Writing on his personal blog, Shameem said the hunger strike staged on October 17 by Mohamed Saeed, a respected professional who had sought help from state institutions for more than 1.5 years, reflects a deep systemic failure. 

He said the fact that an educated, responsible citizen in a senior position at the Bank of Maldives was forced to protest outside a police station shows how badly institutions have let victims down.

Shameem noted that authorities have done little beyond shifting blame between institutions. He said the Homeland Minister’s intervention and Fairish’s subsequent arrest do not amount to a lasting solution, pointing out that Fairish has been arrested more than thirty times and recently escaped from the Himmafushi rehabilitation facility. He also criticised the state’s lack of a service-oriented culture toward citizens, contrasting it with the tourism sector.

Breaking down Fairish’s conduct, including assaulting people in public and exposing his nakedness, Shameem said these are clear offences under the Penal Code. He argued that existing laws allow prosecutors to file separate charges and secure cumulative sentences amounting to at least six years in prison. Alternatively, he said Fairish could have been rehabilitated through counselling under a plea agreement.

Shameem described the core problem as a shortage of true legal scholars who can interpret the law and apply it to real-world situations, leaving institutions staffed with “knowledgeable people” who fail to act.

He warned that if the state continues to fail in providing basic security, the public may eventually turn to gangs and criminal groups for protection, creating a dangerous parallel system operating outside the law.