Male, Maldives
Maldives State Minister at the Environment Ministry, Fathimath Shammaz Ali Saleem, along with her ex-husband Adam Rameez and two others, was on Thursday (June 27) arrested for allegedly performing black magic on President Mohamed Muizzu.
Rameez was serving as a minister at the President's Office.
"Shamnaz, alongside two other individuals, was arrested on Sunday. All three of them have been remanded in custody for seven days. She was suspended from her post on Wednesday as per the Environment Ministry," reported news portal Maldives' Sun, further stating that the government has also suspended Rameez along with Shamnaz.
Both Shamnaz and Rameez had earlier worked as members of the Male City Council with Muizzu when he held the position of the city's mayor.
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"Rameez, during his time at Male City Council, was known as a close aide of Muizzu, who was the mayor at that time," reported Maldives' Sun.
"However, he has been absent from the public light in the past five months or so," it added.
No comment has been made by either the Maldives government or the President's office on the issue till now.
The police did not officially confirm that they were arrested for practising 'black magic' but accepted that they were investigating a case which involved Shamnaz and two others.
Who is Shammaz Ali Saleem?
Fathimath Shammaz Ali Saleem is Maldives State Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Energy in Maldives. She is currently in custody for seven days.
As reported by Maldives-based Sun, Shamnaz was earlier listed as a political appointee on the website of the environment ministry and now has been shifted to the list of former political appointees.
As the environment minister, Shammaz had played an important role in the issue of climate crisis on the international front.
Earlier, Shamnaz had served as a member of the City Council in Male with President Muizzu, when he was serving as the mayor of the city, Maldives' Sun reported.
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After Muizzu was elected to the president's office last year, Shamnaz resigned from the council and was appointed as a state minister at Muliaage, which is the president's official residence. Later, she was transferred to the Environment Ministry.
Black magic or sorcery is not a criminal offence in Maldives, however, it has a six-month prison sentence under Islamic law.
(With inputs from agencies)