Criminal Court acquits SeaLife Ahmed Moosa in fraud case

The Criminal Court Maldives has ruled that charges against Ahmed Moosa Mohamed could not be proven in a case concerning alleged fraud linked to a housing project.

Ahmed Moosa, head of SeaLife Global, had been accused of collecting funds from 280 individuals for a project to develop 3,000 housing units in Hulhumalé in 2014. On 30 May 2021, the State filed 42 counts of embezzlement relating to 42 cases.

In its ruling, the court stated that the matter falls within the scope of civil law. It held that criminal charges could not be established and that any claims should be pursued through civil proceedings.

The Prosecutor General’s Office Maldives said it disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal the decision at the High Court.

In a statement, the office said the charges met the legal elements required to establish embezzlement. It also stated that the court’s classification of the transactions as civil matters did not fully consider the evidence presented.

“Therefore, this office intends to appeal the Criminal Court's verdict at the High Court of the Maldives,” the statement said.

The Housing Development Corporation has provided compensation to individuals who reported losses in connection with the project.

According to available information, 203 individuals initially filed a case seeking damages, of whom 192 have received compensation. The matter was settled out of court, with HDC agreeing to compensate affected individuals.

HDC later extended compensation to others who had not filed legal action. A total of 176 individuals who submitted their information to the company have also received compensation.

No further details were provided on the timeline for the appeal.