Immigration officer sentenced to two months for misuse of authority

Immigration Officer Mohamed Alsan Ismail, who was arrested in connection with the misuse of official authority to gain illicit benefits from foreigners, has been sentenced to two months in prison.

After initially pleading not guilty, Alsan confessed and entered a plea agreement with the State, which was accepted by the court. The agreement initially called for nine months and 18 days in prison, but stipulated that two months and three days would be served while the remainder would be paid as a fine.

Consequently, the court convicted Alsan based on his confession and imposed a sentence of two months and three days in prison. He was also ordered to pay a fine of MVR 45,000, payable in installments over a 12-month period.

Alsan was arrested in March of last year in connection with this case. Since the time he has already spent in custody exceeds the two-month sentence, he will not have to serve any additional time in prison and is set to be released from remand today.

Alsan was arrested alongside the former Controller of Immigration, Mohamed Sham'aan Waheed. Sham'aan has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, and his trial is currently in the evidentiary stage.

The prosecution alleges that Sham'aan instructed the release of a foreigner held in Immigration custody and subsequently colluded with several Immigration employees to take over MVR 500,000 from the individual, with the money being delivered to Sham'aan's residence.

A previous police statement indicated that the operation was carried out by Immigration staff working in sections other than the Task Force and Risk Management—sections typically responsible for locating and detaining expatriates in violation of regulations. The police statement suggested this was an operation conducted through the misuse of official influence by these employees.

The police further stated that the detained foreigner, who was carrying MVR 530,000, was released on the order of the then-Immigration Controller Sham'aan late at night, one day after the detention. The investigation revealed that the Immigration officers who searched the expatriates' residence later met the released foreigner on the street and took the money before going to the building where Sham'aan resides.