Hassan Shifau, who was sentenced to 109 years in prison and fined MVR 7 million for importing goods from foreign companies using forged Telegraphic Transfers (TTs), has been transferred to house arrest.
The Maldives Correctional Service said that Shifau’s transfer to house arrest is a temporary measure due to a medical condition. However, the service did not provide further details regarding the matter.
The state had filed 23 charges against Shifau in the fraudulent TT case, all of which were proven in court. These include nine counts of knowingly producing forged documents, seven counts of fraud, and seven counts of money laundering.
During his sentencing hearing, Shifau requested that the court grant him house arrest. He argued at the time that being under house arrest would allow him to facilitate the repayment of funds to the victims involved in the case.
Furthermore, although the state had initially considered a plea bargain that would have allowed Shifau to avoid serving a prison sentence, the presiding judge decided not to grant that opportunity.
In his ruling, Judge Ali Nadeem sentenced Shifau to 9 years, 10 months, and 26 days for the nine counts of producing forged documents; 30 years for the seven counts of fraud; and 79 years for the seven counts of money laundering, along with a fine of MVR 7 million.
The sentence, delivered in December last year, mandates that Shifau must settle the MVR 7 million fine and compensate the victims within a period of one year.
