Shamaan received bag of money on night expat was released: Witness

A former Immigration employee testified at the Criminal Court on Thursday that a bag containing money was delivered to the residence of former Immigration Controller Mohamed Shamaan Waheed on the same night an expatriate detainee was released.

Shamaan is charged with complicity in extortion, abuse of official authority, and money laundering in connection with allegations that MVR 500,000 was taken from an expatriate in exchange for his release from Immigration custody.

The first witness to testify was Ahmed Lassan, a former Immigration officer who was arrested alongside Shamaan in the case.

Lassan told the court that he and another Immigration officer were instructed to transport the expatriate in an Immigration vehicle. He said the expatriate was dropped off in an area of Male', and he did not see the expatriate hand over anything at that time.

After the release, Lassan said he parked the Immigration vehicle near the President’s Office and rode on the back of the second officer’s motorcycle. He testified that the second officer handed him a bag and instructed him to deliver it to Shamaan’s residence.

Lassan said he accompanied the officer to Shamaan’s home, where the bag was handed over. Upon opening the bag, Lassan said he saw that it contained money. He testified that Shamaan took two bundles of cash from the bag and handed them to the second officer. However, Lassan said he did not know the total amount of money inside the bag.

Lassan further testified that while transporting the expatriate earlier, the second officer had been speaking on the phone to another person about MVR 30,000. Although he could not identify the person on the call, which was on speaker, Lassan said the voice sounded like Shamaan’s.

The second witness was Mainuddin, a Bangladeshi national who was allegedly detained by Immigration and had money confiscated.

Mainuddin testified that one night during Ramadan, Immigration officers entered his residence, searched the cupboards, and detained him along with money found in the house. He said that while in Immigration custody, a man later came to see him and took him on a motorcycle ride before dropping him off on a road.

When questioned by the prosecution, Mainuddin identified the man as Hassan Shaheshan, who is among the accused in the case.

Mainuddin testified that two Immigration officers who had earlier detained him were present and told him that MVR 530,000 had been seized from him, and that he would be released if he paid MVR 500,000. He said he initially refused, explaining that he could not afford the amount.

He testified that after refusing, the officers showed him a photograph of Shamaan and told him that Shamaan had instructed them to release him if the money was paid.

Mainuddin said he was later transported in a car by one of the officers for his release, during which the officer spoke to another man on the phone. After paying MVR 500,000, he was released and instructed to leave Maldives within two days, taking only MVR 30,000 with him.

He said he paid the money out of fear. After his release, while staying at another expatriate’s residence, he received a threatening phone call through another expat, instructing him to leave the country.

Mainuddin testified that he later provided a statement to police after being contacted through his wife’s phone while he was in Bangladesh.

In addition to Shamaan, those charged in the case are Ahmed Lassan of M. Hazaaru Vilaa, Hassan Shaheshan of G. Happy Side, Ibrahim Ahmed of the same residence, and Mohamed Alsan Ismail of Moonimaage, Buruni, Thaa Atoll.

Alsan was released after serving a lighter sentence under a plea agreement.