The case where charges against Managing Director of SeaLife Global Ahmed Moosa (Ammatee) were not proven has been appealed at the High Court by the Prosecutor General's office. Ahmed Moosa was charged with embezzlement after taking money from a large number of people under the premise of providing them with flats.
Following the 2014 agreement to build 3,000 flats in Hulhumalé, the state raised 42 charges of embezzlement against Ahmed Moosa for taking money from a large number of people under the premise of providing them with flats.
The Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office stated on 9th April that the Criminal Court ruled on the same day that none of the charges against Ahmed Moosa were proven, asserting that since the charges relate to a civil matter, action should be taken through the civil justice system.
Spokesperson of the PG office and lawyer Ahmed Shafeeu stated that it is his opinion that the evidence in the case was not duly considered and that the way the article of the offense was taken into account is illegal.
The PG office stated last night that the case was appealed at the High Court on Saturday.
"We appealed the High Court to rule that the evidence in this case was gauged illegally by the lower court, to rule that the lower court's decision that the case is civil in nature is against the law, and to rule that the base definitions of fraud as a crime was described against the law as well. We made the appeal to the High Court to rule that the charges are proven," as was the information shared from the PG office to the media.
The PG office stated that the High Court issued an interim order yesterday to seize Ahmed Moosa's passport until the appeal has been ruled upon. The order was issued upon the request of the PG office.
In connection with this case, Ahmed Moosa was arrested in Sri Lanka and brought back to the Maldives in 2021 while he was living abroad. After being held in custody for some time regarding the matter, he was later released.
After the construction of the flats were handed over to SeaLife, the case where booking fees were taken from hundreds of people under the guise of flat sales came to light, with the case subsequently being submitted to the relevant authorities. A number of individuals went to court to demand compensation as well.
However, a settlement agreement was written up afterwards, due to 203 people who incurred losses at the hands of SeaLife having pressed charges against the state. At the time, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) settled the case out of court by writing up an agreement which outlined a compensation of MVR 45 million for the affected parties and the opportunity to purchase a flat from a housing project.
Later on, those who were affected got the opportunity to purchase a flat from Hulhumale' Phase 2's Vinares Flats.
