Ex-Fenaka procurement head sentenced to 19 months in prison over corruption

The Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced former Fenaka Corporation procurement head Mariyam Dheena to one year and seven months in prison after finding her guilty of abuse of official position in a corruption case involving payments to a private company.

The case concerned payments made under a 2019 agreement between Fenaka and Blazon Inc, which prosecutors alleged were released without verifying whether the company had completed the contracted work.

Dheena was charged with abuse of official position in connection with the payments.

The Criminal Court found her guilty on 13 October, with sentencing deferred to a subsequent hearing.

At Tuesday's sentencing hearing, the prosecution and defence presented their arguments on the appropriate punishment.

The prosecution said the offence warranted an increased penalty because Dheena had abused a position of responsibility.

However, prosecutors requested the basic sentence prescribed for the offence, taking into account that Dheena was a single parent and had not personally received substantial financial benefits from the transaction.

Dheena's defence lawyer requested that the prison sentence be replaced with a fine and house arrest.

The defence cited her respiratory health problems and her responsibilities as a single mother caring for young children.

Judge Adam Mohamed rejected the request, noting that no medical document had been submitted establishing that Dheena's condition prevented her from being held in prison.

The judge consequently imposed the basic sentence for the offence, as requested by the prosecution.

Dheena was sentenced to one year and seven months in prison.

Former Fenaka Managing Director Ahmed Saeed was previously sentenced to four years in prison in connection with the same case.

Dheena was not sentenced at the time because she had been admitted to hospital.

The case is among several corruption investigations involving Fenaka during the previous administration.

Dheena also faces charges in a separate case concerning a June 2018 contract awarded to Kairatzu Private Limited.

That case involves allegations of corruption in the awarding of a project to install camera systems at all Fenaka branches, establish a command centre at the company's head office and set up a video conferencing system.

Prosecutors allege that the contract was awarded in circumstances that facilitated corruption.