Former PG Shameem Warns State Failure in Faresh Case Could Strengthen Gang Power

Former Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem has warned that the state's failure to address the case of Faresh, a suspected drug user, could erode public trust in the criminal justice system and potentially strengthen gang power in the Maldives. In a blog post, Shameem highlighted that the outburst of anger by Mohamed Saeed, a senior Bank of Maldives employee, at the police headquarters last month was a direct result of two years of fruitless efforts to seek help from state institutions for a personal crisis involving Faresh. Shameem criticized the lack of a service-oriented culture in government departments, contrasting it with the tourism sector's approach to customer issues. He noted that arresting Faresh under the leadership of the Home Affairs Minister is not a permanent solution, pointing out that Faresh has been arrested three times previously and recently fled from Himmafushi. Shameem argued that Faresh's actions, such as dragging people through public places and exposing their shame, are crimes under the Qanoon-ul-Uqubat (Penal Code), and that existing law allows for a sentence of at least six years by accumulating three-month prison terms for each offense. He also suggested reform through counseling via a plea bargain agreement. Shameem warned that if the state fails to provide security, ordinary citizens may turn to gangs and criminal groups for help, leading to a dangerous parallel system outside the law.