Prosecution says it may seek conditional release of Shamman
Shamman, who served as the first immigration controller under the current administration, was dismissed and arrested in March 2025.
Top Stories
The prosecution told the Criminal Court on Thursday that it intends to request the conditional release of former Immigration Controller Mohamed Shamman Waheed after further testimony is taken in the case alleging abuse of office involving foreign workers.
Shamman, who served as the first immigration controller under the current administration, was dismissed and arrested in March 2025. Four other immigration officers were arrested alongside him. As of Thursday, he has been in custody for eight months and 26 days.
The prosecution alleges that Shamman, in collaboration with other immigration officers, conducted an unlawful operation targeting a group of foreign workers and extorted MVR 530,000 from one individual. All five defendants have been charged in the case.
The Criminal Court held a closed review hearing on Thursday after recording evidence.
Defence counsel Noorul Salam requested Shamman’s release pending trial, arguing that the grounds for continued detention no longer applied. He said Shamman had been detained due to the expectation that a number of immigration officers would testify, and that those testimonies have now been completed.
In response, the prosecution said there remained a risk of influencing witnesses even after testimony had been taken. The prosecutor cited instances in other cases where witnesses had withdrawn statements after giving evidence.
The prosecution said testimony from one Bangladeshi national and from Ahmed Lassan, who is also charged in the case, is yet to be completed. On that basis, the prosecution asked the court to defer a decision on release until the remaining testimony is heard.
The prosecutor added that once the risk of influencing witnesses is assessed as minimal by the police, the state would move to request Shamman’s conditional release.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Trial Judge Ibrahim Ihsan ruled that there was no basis at this stage to release Shamman from custody. The judge noted that decisions on release would follow the prosecution’s presentation of evidence.
The court said a decision on remand would be made at a later date.
