The High Court has finished hearings regarding the appeal against the acquittal of SeaLife Global's managing director Ahmed Moosa Mohamed (Ammaty) concerning numerous charges related to defrauding more than 200 tenants out of millions in booking fees for a proposed apartment complex in suburban Hulhumale in just six months.

Although many notable cases have been unresolved in the High Court for five to six years, Ammaty's appeal, submitted by the state in April this year, was fast-tracked, with all proceedings concluded in only three or four sessions.

The case is currently pending a verdict. A High Court bench composed of Chief Judge Abdulla Jameel Moosa, Judge Mohamed Shaneez Abdulla, and Judge Abdul Maaniu Hussain is hearing the appeal.

After the appeal process began, the High Court placed a travel restriction on Ammaty and seized his passport. Ammaty had earlier escaped the nation but was apprehended in Sri Lanka and sent back to the Maldives in 2021. He was later kept in pre-trial custody before being freed.

The state originally brought 42 charges against Ammaty after SeaLife Global was hired in 2014 to build 3,000 apartments and later received advance payments from the public. Nevertheless, the Criminal Court had earlier determined that the issue was civil and ought to be addressed via the civil justice system, leading to Ammaty’s exoneration of all criminal accusations.

During an extended session at the High Court, a visibly upset Ammaty warned state prosecutors, alleging they were dishonest and mischaracterizing the case's facts.

"The state is required to present the truth in court, grounded in the real events and evidence." The state is asserting that we made reservations and sold imaginary apartments using arbitrary numbers. "That never occurred," Ammaty declared in court.