Civil Court has ordered Hussain Shifau, 37, to pay MVR 200,000 to Nalahiya Construction and Development Pvt Ltd.

Police arrested Shifau last year in connection with the smuggling of fruits and vegetables to the Maldives through fake TT. He was initially remanded in police custody for 30 days. However, he was produced before a local court on May 27, 2023, for the second time and was released on bail.

His release order stated that based on the evidence provided by the police, it does not appear that there is any threat to the society on his part.

While the state moved the High Court challenging the trial court's order, Shifau left the country. As such, the High Court is aware of the fact that the Prosecutor General (PG) is required to clarify the address of Shifau's current residence. On May 29,2023, Shifau informed the high court that he had left the country.

The Hight Court directed PG to find the address where Shifau is currently residing as he was not aware of his address. The Court stated that PG can submit the case to High Court after clarifying the information.

When the court ordered Shifau's release, the state had pressed charges that could lead to a 38-year jail term.

The charges include nine counts of giving unauthenticated documents under the Maldives Penal Code, seven counts of cheating, and seven counts of money laundering.

According to the PG office, Shifau committed the crime in connivance with another person through the Kingdom of Fruits, a private enterprise registered with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, by smuggling goods from foreign companies into the country and producing unverified documents of the amount payable to these companies for the same.

The total amount involved in the case stands at USD 123,844.54 (MVR 1.9 million), the office said.