Criminal Court to sentence Shifau on December 15th

The Criminal Court has scheduled the sentencing of Hussain Shifau for December 15th, following his conviction on 16 charges related to defrauding foreign companies using invalid Telegraphic Transfers (TTs).

The state initially brought 23 charges against Shifau, which carried a potential life sentence. Last month, the Criminal Court confirmed that 16 of these charges were proven against him.

The charges proven were:

A hearing was held today at the Criminal Court to discuss the sentencing for the proven charges. The presiding Judge scheduled an additional hearing for December 14th to deliberate on the remaining seven counts of money laundering and discuss the penalties for all proven charges. The final sentencing hearing is then scheduled for December 15th.

The case involves a total sum of USD 123,844.54 (approximately MVR 1.9 million) against Shifau, who faces 23 charges potentially leading to a 38-year prison sentence.

The prosecution sought a plea bargain which would dismiss 16 charges, including money laundering, allowing Shifau to plead guilty to seven lesser charges in exchange for an 88-day sentence, time served, plus a fine. This plea was rejected by Judge Ali Nadheem, who found it inadequate in reflecting the severity of the crimes and ensuring victim compensation.

Shifau conducted fraudulent business operations under "Kingdom of Fruits," using counterfeit telegraphic transfers to verify payments. After his arrest in 2023, he initially secured release but subsequently fled the country.

An Interpol Red Notice was issued; upon his return, he was re-arrested but released with his passport seized. While awaiting trial, he briefly held the position of Senior Political Director at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare until his legal issues garnered media attention, leading to his removal.