Immigration: Seyfert wants to leave Maldives

Maldives immigration reports the US citizen, John Seyfert – arrested in a crackdown on undocumented foreigners in Hulhumale’ on January 16 – will be deported as soon as his passport is ready.

John Seyfert, 76, – an investor in a guesthouse business in Hulhumale’ – is one of the four undocumented foreigners arrested by Immigration in its operation on January 16.

Immigration reports Seyfert had been living in Maldives without a visa.

Seyfert has also had his passport stolen – which has been reported to both the police and US embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Spokesperson for Maldives Immigration, Hassan Khaleel reported to “Sun” this Sunday that a team from US State Department has come to Maldives and met with Seyfert. And that he would be deported as soon as his passport is ready.

“He will be deported for sure. State Department wants to take him to America. And John himself is saying now that he doesn’t want to stay in Maldives, that he wants to leave,” said Khaleel.

Seyfert is well known and well liked in the Maldivian community.

He arrived in Maldives a few years back as an investor.

Ali Azim, who worked as Seyfert’s lawyer said he came to Maldives and invested USD 250,000 in a guesthouse business with two Maldivians who are relatives of the wife of a lawmaker.

He said Seyfert was later conned out of the business by his Maldivian business partners.

Seyfert filed a civil lawsuit over the issue, and the Civil Court ruled in favor of Seyfert, ordering the men to pay him USD 42,000 in compensation.

Azim said the men have not paid the money to Seyfert, and that the ruling had been appealed at High Court.

He also said Seyfert had been threatened on a number of occasions to coerce him into leaving Maldives.

He said Seyfert received death threats via 33 phone calls, was attacked with a piece of wood, and had his passport stolen from his residence on two occasions.