Court rejects agreement made by the PG with Shifau

The court has decided not to accept a plea bargain agreement made by the Prosecutor General's (PG) Office with Hussain Shifau, who faces 23 charges related to conducting business with foreign companies by submitting invalid Telegraphic Transfers (TTs), a case that could otherwise result in a life sentence.

The PG Office had previously stated that the 23 charges against Shifau would lead to a total jail sentence of 38 years and involved USD 123,844.54 (MVR 1.9 million).

However, the plea bargain agreement was made with Shifau when the trial was already at the stage of presenting closing statements. In a court hearing held yesterday, Judge Ali Nadheem decided not to accept the agreement.

According to the plea bargain presented to the court, the PG Office would withdraw all but seven of the 23 charges against Shifau. This included all charges of money laundering and knowingly presenting an invalid document. The seven charges that were to be maintained and proven were lesser counts of fraud and deception. The agreement stipulated that Shifau would receive a sentence of 88 days in jail along with a fine of MVR 184,600.

Since the duration Shifau has already spent in detention must be deducted from the jail term, he would be released under this sentence, as his period of detention exceeds the 88-day term. Therefore, he would only have to pay the MVR 184,600 fine without serving further jail time.

However, the presiding Judge Ali Nadheem decided not to accept the plea bargain. The Judge stated that, considering the crimes involved in this case and the matters highlighted by the police in the investigative report, the agreement was not one that factored in all aspects of the case.

The Judge added that the agreement offered no assurance or guarantee that the victims of the losses caused by Shifau would receive compensation, and therefore, the court would not accept the plea bargain. Consequently, the case will continue as planned, with the presentation of closing statements and the conclusion of the trial in its current form.

Shifau was initially arrested in 2023 for fraudulent business transactions with foreign companies via his sole proprietorship, "Kingdom of Fruits," using deceit and trickery. He was released by the court shortly after, following which he fled the country. After an Interpol Red Notice was issued for his arrest, he voluntarily returned to the Maldives, was arrested, and then released again with his passport withheld.

Despite the ongoing court cases, he was also appointed to the political post of Senior Political Director at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare. However, he was dismissed from the post soon after the case was revealed in the media.