The Criminal Court has sentenced former Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Shamaan Waheed to 25 years in prison after finding him guilty of all charges brought against him.

Shamaan was convicted on three counts: abuse of official authority for personal gain, money laundering, and acting as an accomplice to theft by extortion.

The sentencing hearing was held at the Criminal Court on Tuesday afternoon, where the presiding judge ruled that the prosecution had proven all charges beyond reasonable doubt.

For the money laundering offence, the court sentenced Shamaan to 15 years in prison and imposed a fine of MVR 500,000. He was also sentenced to eight years in prison for acting as an accomplice to theft by extortion and two years in prison for abuse of official authority for personal gain.

In addition to the prison terms and fine, the court ordered Shamaan to repay MVR 500,000 after determining that the amount had been unlawfully obtained from a foreign national.

The judge stated that the cumulative sentence reflected the gravity of the offences and noted that Shamaan's actions had damaged the reputation and public trust placed in Maldives Immigration.

Shamaan was dismissed from his post following allegations that he had exploited the authority of his office to obtain money from expatriates. During the investigation, Police recovered MVR 257,475 and USD 10,000 from his residence, along with cash in several foreign currencies and various electronic devices.

Police had previously stated that their investigation uncovered evidence indicating that Shamaan accepted money from expatriates while failing to follow the procedures and requirements associated with his official duties as Controller General of Immigration. Investigators also found that payments had been solicited from expatriates involved in operations that contravened Immigration regulations and established procedures.