The is no reason why Maldives Immigration's former Controller General Mohamed Shamman Waheed would have to influence any evidence, said his lawyer in High Court on Wednesday, assuring that Shamman would do no such thing.

Shamman is currently remanded pending the outcome of his trial, accused of being involved with several other Immigration officers, in the release of an expatriate from Immigration's detention and taking MVR 500,000 from the individual before transporting the funds to Shamman's residence.

According to the Criminal Court's remand order, he was remanded until the end of his trial on the belief that he may temper with evidence. The court had also issued a 15 day remand prior to that. At the time, the remand was issued saying Shamman posed a danger to the community. However, police did not mention this reason in their second remand request.

Shamman has appealed both these orders at the High Court. Wednesday's remand hearing was about the remand pending the outcome of his trial. During the hearing Shamman's lawyer Nurul Salam Abubakr said he is not aware of who testified against Shamman and assured the judges that Shamman would not attempt to influence the witnesses.

"There is no evidence in the case being investigated against Shamman that requires him to temper with evidence. There would be no evidence that Shamman has to change by influence," the lawyer said.

He said it is questionable whether the state could claim that the friendship between Shamman and a prospective witness could lead to the witness being influence. Noorul Salam went on to say that the precedence prosecutors are referring to in claiming so was a drug related matter, and questioned whether the same principles could be applied to Shamman's case.

The state prosecutor said one of the two verdicts referred to by the state includes a case of fraud, and that this verdict was also issued after considering the precedence set by the drug case. The lawyer asserted that their request to hold Shamman in remand pending the outcome of his trial is well within legal means.

The prosecutor also maintained that there is a possibility of Shamman influencing the witnesses, given that he is accused of allegedly using his position as controller to commit a crime. Even if the accused does not know who the witnesses are, he would know who the people may be to an extent, the state lawyer said. If released from custody, he has the opportunity to influence them, the state argued."There is no legal basis, no legal reason for appealing this case. The lower court judge exercised a discretion. That discresion was exercised in accordance with the rules prescribed in the country so far," the prosecutor said.

With arguments for both of Shamman's appeals concluded, the court is set to issue its verdict in next hearing.

Due to the allegations against Shamman, he was removed as Controller General of Immigration before his arrest.

Police had earlier said that the expatriate from whom Shamman and his colleagues allegedly took money from was taken into Immigration's custody from a guesthouse operation. It is also alleged that the money was taken from the foreigner by three Immigration officers who met the foreigner on the road to collect the money following his release. They then took the money to Shamran’s house, according to the investigation.

The operation was not conducted by the task force assigned to search foreigners and their associates, police also said.