A man has been sentenced to three months and 29 days in jail and fined MVR 23,800 for fraudulently obtaining MVR 200,000 by falsely offering an apartment for rent.

The accused, Hussain Naseer Ibrahim Rasheed, was charged with fraud. According to the prosecution, on April 27, 2017, Naseer signed an agreement to lease the third floor of Akasia for four years and two months, receiving MVR 200,000 in rent from Ibrahim Rasheed. However, the prosecution stated that Naseer failed to deliver the rented apartment.

The trial court initially allowed Naseer seven days to appoint a defense lawyer. At the following hearing, he denied the charges, arguing that the case stemmed from a business matter and was a civil issue, not fraud. Despite his defense, Naseer entered into a confession agreement with the state on September 3, 2024, which the court accepted.

Originally, the sentence for Naseer’s offense was set at one year, seven months, and six days. However, the confession agreement reduced the jail time to four months and 24 days, with a fine adjusted to MVR 28,800. Given that Naseer had already spent 25 days in custody, the court further reduced his jail term to three months and 29 days, with a final fine of MVR 23,800. The court ordered Naseer to pay the fine to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) within five months.

Judge Saf'ath Habib presided over the case. Another charge of fraud and forgery related to the same case has also been filed against Naseer, to which he pleaded not guilty. The confession agreement set an alternate fine of MVR 28,800, which the judge instructed Naseer to pay to MIRA within five months.