US diplomats make second visit to see John Seyfert

A team of officials from the US embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka made its second visit last week to meet US citizen John Seyfert who is under detention by Maldives Immigration.

Seyfert, 76, was one of the four undocumented foreigners arrested by Immigration in an operation in Hulhumale’ on January 16.

Immigration had announced it planned to deport all four undocumented foreigners, including Seyfert.

However, Seyfert has remained in detention as he did not have a passport – which he claims was stolen from his residence in Hulhumale’.

He had lodged a complaint with the police over the robbery.

US embassy officials in Colombo travelled to Maldives in January to make arrangements to make a new passport for him.

Spokesperson for Maldives Immigration, Hassan Khaleel reported to “Sun” that Seyfert still remains in detention due to lack of documents needed to have him fly out of the country.

Khaleel said US embassy officials made a second trip to Maldives last week to prepare the documents.

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.