Court convicts Mandey on 94 charges in K-Park flats fraud case

Criminal Court has found Hassan Mamdhooh, widely known as Mandey, guilty of 94 charges in the K-Park flats case, one of the largest fraud cases ever prosecuted in the Maldives.

Mamdhooh, a shareholder of K-Park developer Hanbo Company, was charged with 104 counts related to selling the same apartment units to multiple buyers and misappropriating the money for personal use. The charges included 50 counts of obtaining illicit benefit through misrepresentation, 50 counts of fraud, three counts of forgery and one count of money laundering.

In its verdict, the court convicted Mamdhooh of 44 counts of obtaining illicit benefit through misrepresentation, 46 counts of fraud, three counts of forgery and one count of money laundering bringing the total number of proven charges to 94. This is the highest number of criminal convictions recorded against a single individual in a Maldivian court.

Delivering the verdict, Criminal Court Judge Mohamed Nadeem said evidence showed that the same apartments were sold to multiple parties and money was taken from each buyer. The judge noted that sale agreements were signed by Mamdhooh, with the second accused, Jaishan Saeed, acting as a witness.

The court further found that Mamdhooh failed to complete and hand over the apartments within the agreed timeframe, proving the fraud charges. Judge Nadeem said Mamdhooh used the proceeds of the crimes for personal purposes, including purchasing apartments in Hulhumalé.

As a result, the court ordered the state to confiscate an apartment purchased by Mamdhooh using the proceeds of the crimes.

The second defendant, R. Alifushi Kinaara Jaishan Saeed, was charged with 95 counts, including misrepresentation, aiding misrepresentation, fraud and aiding money laundering. The court convicted Jaishan of 40 counts of misrepresentation and 44 counts of aiding misrepresentation and money laundering.

The court said a decision on the remaining charges against Mamdhooh and sentencing for both defendants will be delivered on Tuesday.

Under Maldivian law, fraud involving sums exceeding MVR 500,000 carries a prison sentence of up to three years per count, while money laundering is punishable by five to 15 years in prison. Given the number of convictions, Mamdhooh faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence, although the court may adjust penalties where multiple charges arise from related conduct.

Mamdhooh failed to appear for the hearing on Thursday and was produced in court in custody on Saturday. He has been ordered to remain in custody pending sentencing.