The government has dismissed allegations made by former Immigration Controller Mohamed Shamman against President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and other senior officials.
The remarks were made by Shamman before he was sentenced by the Criminal Court after being found guilty of robbery, abuse of official authority and money laundering.
Shamman was convicted in connection with the theft of more than MVR 500,000 from an expatriate who had been taken into Immigration custody. The court sentenced him to 25 years in prison, including 15 years for money laundering, eight years for his role in the robbery and two years for misuse of official authority.
Prior to sentencing, Shamman claimed that the case against him was politically motivated and alleged that individuals arrested alongside him had been given favourable treatment in exchange for testimony.
He also accused Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan and Attorney General Ahmed Usham of orchestrating the case against him. In addition, Shamman alleged that Ali Ihusan was involved in corruption related to Bangladeshi work permits and expatriate quotas, and claimed he had raised the matter with President Muizzu.
The allegations were rejected by the government.
In a post on X, Chief Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef, known as Mundhu, described Shamman’s claims as completely false.
The court also fined Shamman and ordered the recovery of money linked to the case.
