Shamaan: Ihusan engaged in quota fraud; President labeled me ‘disloyal’ when I informed him

Former Controller General of Immigration, Mohamed Shamaan Waheed alleged on Tuesday that Home Minister Ali had engaged in quota fraud, and that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu had labeled him as “disloyal” when he informed him of it.

He made the allegations while speaking to reporters outside the Criminal Court on Tuesday, before heading in for sentencing in the corruption case against him.

Shamaan has long contended that the case against him was a frame job carried out on Ihusan’s orders.

Speaking to reporters, Shamaan made serious allegations of corruption against him.

He said that he informed President Muizzu of the “criminal scheme” run by Ihusan in granting approval for work permits and quotas on January 16, 2025.

Shamaan said that he presented President Muizzu with evidence that Ihusan had been charging MVR 8,000 per quota, and USD 1,800 for work permit for each Bangladeshi worker.

“I told the President this and presented him with evidence. The response he gave from Estonia is: I have been informed that Shamaan, you have a personal vendetta against Minister Ihusan. Ihusan hasn’t done anything against laws and regulations. And I am sure that he will not. If what I’m hearing is correct, then let me tell you, this is not how you show loyalty,” he said.

ބިދޭސީން ގެނައުމަށް ދޫކުރާ ކޯޓާ އަދި ވޯކް ޕާރމިޓް އެޕްރޫވް ކުރުމަށް މިނިސްޓަރ އިހުސާން ހިންގަމުން ގެންދިޔަ ޖަރީމާ ރައީސްގެ ސަމާލު ކަމަށް 16 ޖެނުއަރީ 2025 ގައި ގެނައިން. ކޮންމެ ކޯޓާ އަކަށް 8000 ރުފިޔާގެ މަގުން އަދި އެޕްރޫވް ކުރާ ބަންގްލަދޭޝް މީހަކަށް 1800 ޔޫ އެސް ޑޮލަރުގެ މަގުން…

— Mohamed Shamaan Waheed (@ShamaanW) June 9, 2026

Shamaan also accused Ihusan of “selling” the country’s border control system to a specific party.

He said that he had received multiple calls from President Muizzu due to his objection to this, and that he therefore finds the President himself culpable of the alleged corruption.

“When he last called me regarding this, he said that “this will not change to any other way” and got angry and threatened me,” he said.

Shamaan accused both Ihusan and Attorney General Ahmed Usham of being the ringleaders behind it.

He said that he has evidence of it in his phone, which was confiscated by the police, adding that the alleged deal remained in progress in secret.

ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ މައި ދޮރޮއަށި. (ބޯޑަރ ކޮންޓްރޯލް ސިސްޓަމް) މިނިސްޓަރ އިހުސާން ބޭނުންވާ ވަކި ބަޔަކަށް ވަނީ ވިއްކާލާފަ. މިކަން ހުއްޓުވުމަށް މަސައްކަތް ކުރުމުން އަދި އެކަމާ ދެކޮޅު ހެދުމުގެ ސަބަބުން އެކި ފަހަރު މަތިން އަޅުގަނޑަށް ސީދާ ރައީސް މުއިއްޒު ގުޅި. އެމައްސަލައިގައި އެންމެ…

— Mohamed Shamaan Waheed (@ShamaanW) June 9, 2026

When asked by a reporter whether he believes President Muizzu had been involved in the alleged corruption, Shamaan responded that his failure to take action also constitutes to an act of corruption.

He said that he directly presented President Muizzu with the evidence, believing it better to alert the President regarding corruption by a cabinet minister, instead of filing a formal report with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Shamaan was pressed with serious felonies that would land him behind bars for a long time; an accomplice to theft by extortion – which carries a three-year prison sentence, misuse of authority to obtain a benefit – which carries a one-year prison sentence, and money laundering – a charge that carries a prison sentence of between five to 15 years.

The Criminal Court found him guilty of all three charges just a few moments ago.

Shamaan was dismissed from his role as the head of Maldives Immigration on March 20, 2025. In a statement shortly after the news of his dismissal broke, the police said they were investigating a case involving “several employees of Maldives Immigration who misused their authority to gain undue benefits from expatriate workers.”

Investigators raided Shamaan’s residence in Male’ the same night, and seized MVR 257,475, USD 10,000 and cash in other foreign currencies, as well as electronic devices.

He was arrested the next day after he arrived at the Sergeant Adam Haleem Criminal Investigation Building for questioning.

He was initially jailed pending the outcome of his trial, before being granted conditional release on December 25.

Shamaan is accused of extorting money from expatriates, including MVR 500,000 from a Bangladeshi worker. He is accused of pocketing half of it, while paying off his student loan with the rest.

During trial, his parents and wife testified that he had borrowed money from his father to pay off his student loan.

The state also prosecuted four other former Immigration officers in connection to the case, some of him signed plea deals in exchange for lighter sentences.

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Editor’s note: The original article erroneously reported that Shamaan accused both Ihusan and Usham of engaging in quota fraud. However, Shamaan did not accused Usham of quota fraud, but of corruption in an alleged deal on the border control system. We apologize for the error.