The criminal court on Wednesday sentenced Ibrahim Hunain to three years and two months in prison for running an apartment scam.
He was convicted of fraudulently charging MVR 364,500 as five years of rent for an apartment that was already leased for 19 years.
Hunain was also accused of stealing large sums of money from several other people in the guise of renting the apartment in Maafannu Faagathi, Male'.
He was found guilty of taking MVR 364,500 from Ahmed Afzal from Alif Dhaal Maamigili. He was charged with theft by deception under section 212(a) of the penal code.
According to the criminal court's verdict, Hunain drafted a five-year lease agreement for the three-bedroom apartment and tricked his mother into signing it. His mother was the owner of the house.
The criminal court's verdict also ordered Hunain to repay the MVR 364,500 taken from Afzal with monthly payments of at least MVR 60,000.
