Sixteen people demand reimbursement from Maleesha

Sixteen people have said in court today that they would like to be reimbursed for the money they paid to Maleesha Hajj and Umra Group for the hajj pilgrimage.

This came at today’s hearing at Criminal Court, of the case against Head of Maleesha Hajj and Umra Group Ismail Abdul Latheef, who has been charged by the state with fraud.

One person who was defrauded by Maleesha Group said that he did not wish to be reimbursed, as he had since performed hajj, funded by the state.

The sixteen people who demanded reimbursement also included people who had gone for hajj, funded by the state.

Statements were provided in court by seventeen people today. None of them were questioned by Ismail Abdul Latheef’s lawyer.

The people who gave testimonies today were those who made the payment to Maleesha Group from Thaa Guraidhoo. Some of them provided their testimonies via the magistrate courts in Faafu Nilandhoo and Thaa Guraidhoo, while others have attended the Criminal Court.

Everyone who provided statements today were requested by Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed, to provide documents to court to prove that they made payments to Maleesha Group.

The accused has pleaded guilty to the charge against him at an earlier hearing. He said that he did accept payment from a large group of people with the promise of organising the hajj pilgrimage, and that he should be required to refund those people.

The charge against Ismail Abdul Latheef states that he committed fraud by not organising the hajj pilgrimage after collecting MVR 8.6 million a large group of people.

State prosecutor Aishath Mohamed said that the state would like to present about 50 more witnesses.

The next hearing on this case will be held tomorrow.