Hussain Shifau, who was sentenced by the Criminal Court to 109 years in prison and fined MVR 7 million for doing business with foreign companies through illegal telegraphic transfers (TT), has been temporarily moved to house arrest for medical treatment.
Speaking at a press conference held at the President's Office today, Home Minister Ali Ihusaan said Shifau has been released to house arrest for a period of one month so that he can receive medical treatment. The minister said the house arrest period will be extended if his condition does not improve within that time.
Citing the Prisons Act, Minister Ihusaan said the law allows an inmate to be temporarily moved to house arrest under the monitoring of the Maldives Correctional Service in cases where adequate medical treatment cannot be provided in prison, or where a medical professional advises that the inmate be exposed to a specific treatment.
All 23 charges brought against Shifau by the Prosecutor General's Office were proven, and on 18 December last year the Criminal Court sentenced him to 109 years in prison and fined him MVR 7 million. However, the lower court ruled that it could not order the confiscation of the USD 123,000 that Shifau is alleged to have laundered in the case, as the state had not been able to show where the money was.
Shifau had earlier been appointed by the current administration as a senior political director at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, but was later abruptly dismissed from the post. The President's Office chief spokesperson confirmed his dismissal but did not disclose the reason.
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