Ammaty granted approval to travel overseas to undergo spinal surgery

SeaLife Global’s managing director Ahmed Moosa Mohamed (Ammaty) – pressed with multiple charges for defrauding over 200 tenants out of millions in booking fees for a proposed apartment complex in suburban Hulhumale’ – has been granted approval by the Criminal Court to travel overseas to undergo a spinal surgery.

Ammaty, who had an Interpol red notice out for his capture since 2019, was arrested in neighboring Sri Lanka in February, 2021. He had remained in custody for a long period of time before being granted conditional release. His passport, however, remained withheld to date, as he has been barred from traveling abroad.

Criminal Court states that medical documents submitted by Ammaty, requesting to revoke the order withholding his past, show that he has been recommended by doctors to undergo a spinal surgery.

They also detailed that Ammaty had requested to allow the opportunity to undergo the surgery and treatment while in the company of his family, who lives abroad in Sri Lanka, as spinal surgery is considered a serious procedure.

Citing Ammaty had cooperated with the court in the cases filed against him – Criminal Court said they see it fit to temporarily suspend the travel ban order against Ammaty.

Subsequently, they have decided to release his passport from 5:00pm yesterday, till 23:00pm on December 26^th.

42 charges of fraud and embezzlement have been brought against Ammaty.

SeaLife announced its 3,000-apartment housing project, the SeaLife Complex in Hulhumale’, back in 2015.

280 tenants paid a booking fee of MVR 50,000 (some more than MVR 50,000). But the SeaLife Complex was never built.

The cumulative total of the booking fees collected by SeaLife is estimated to be upwards of MVR 14 million.

Housing Development Corporation (HDC) later intervened to reimburse the tenants who submitted documents to the corporation, and they were given priority in the sale of Vinares apartments.

Ammaty faces 65 years in prison if the charges are proven against him in court.