Lawyer arrested for recording same-sex videos, blackmail released

Lawyer Maumoon Moosa, 41, Sea Star, Sh. Funadhoo who was arrested for recording multiple men, including several high-profile Maldivians, having same-sex, and using the recordings to blackmail and extort large sum, has been released from custody.

Police said that Maumoon who was arrested on September 20, was presented before the Criminal Court on Saturday following the expiration of his 10-day demand. The court decided against extending his remand further, thus releasing him from custody.

From the two other suspects arrested alongside Maumoon in connection the case – Mohamed Mihad Mustafa, 24, Heema, B. Dharavandhoo’s remand was extended by seven days on Friday by the Criminal Court. Meanwhile, Hamdhoon Abdulla, 37, Akiri, B. Dharavandhoo’s remand is yet to expire.

Hamdhoon and Mihad were both arrested to September 18. Hamdhoon remanded in custody for 15 days, whilst Mihad was remanded in custody for seven days.

Police said that in addition to recording the videos and blackmailing and extorting the men, the suspects had also leaked some of the videos online.

MD Alamgir, 26, was arrested on July 12, after videos leaked online showing him engaging in sex with multiple men.

He was convicted of engaging in homosexuality back in August. He pled guilty to the charge and and received seven months in prison. He was later charged with 40 counts of production of pornographic content - to which he pled guilty on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Nazim Abdul Sattar, a prominent lawyer and younger brother of Parliament speaker, former president Mohamed Nasheed, who was recorded on video having sex with Alamgir, was sentenced to three months and 26 days in home confinement on September 15.

Abdul Rahman Rafeeu, a former senior office at the Drug Enforcement Department (DED), was sentenced to one year, two months and 12 days in prison.

Both Nazim and Rafeeu had also pled guilty to the charge.