The Criminal Court has found former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed guilty of all charges filed against him.

The State had brought three charges against Shamaan: abuse of official authority, money laundering and participation in extortion.

Following the completion of trial proceedings, a sentencing hearing was held on Tuesday afternoon. During the hearing, which began at 4:30 p.m. at the Criminal Court, the presiding judge ruled that all three charges against Shamaan had been proven.

Shamaan was dismissed from his post amid allegations that he had abused the influence of his position to obtain money from expatriates. The investigation into the case led to the recovery of MVR 257,475 and USD 10,000 from Shamaan's residence, in addition to cash in several foreign currencies and electronic devices seized by the Police.

Police had previously stated that investigations revealed Shamaan had obtained money from expatriates by conducting operations without completing the required documentation in his capacity as Controller General of Immigration and in violation of established Immigration procedures and regulations.