The Criminal Court on Thursday rejected a plea agreement made between the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) and Hussain Shifau, who faces life imprisonment in connection with 23 charges, including fraud and money laundering.

Shifau is accused of importing goods for foreign companies through a business registered under the name Kingdom of Fruits with the Ministry of Economic Development, in collaboration with another individual, and defrauding the companies by failing to make payments.

The plea deal was submitted to the court as part of the prosecution’s summary filing process. Presiding Judge Ali Nadeem ruled not to accept the agreement, stating that it did not ensure compensation for the victims of the alleged offences.

According to the plea agreement, all but seven of the 23 charges against Shifau would have been withdrawn. The remaining charges included counts of fraud, while the withdrawn charges covered money laundering and knowingly issuing invalid documents.

Under the proposed agreement, Shifau would have received an 88-day jail term and a fine of MVR 184,000. The sentence would have allowed his release upon payment of the fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Shifau submitted false documents to foreign companies as proof of payment for imported goods.

Timeline of the case:

The prosecution has stated that the value of the transactions involved exceeds USD 123,800 (approximately MVR 1.9 million). If convicted on all 23 charges, Shifau could face up to 38 years in prison.

The charges include nine counts of knowingly issuing invalid documents, seven counts of fraud and deception, and seven counts of money laundering.