Hussain Sunny Umar, from G. Maavani, has been remanded for a period of 30 days in connection with a case involving the sexual abuse of minors.
The Prosecutor General's (PG) Office stated that a request was submitted to the Criminal Court on 3 December 2025, seeking a 30-day remand order for Sunny in relation to a case where multiple children are suspected of having been sexually abused, pursuant to Articles 30 and 33 of Law No. 12/2009 (Law on Special Procedures for Persons who Sexually Abuse Children) and Article 49 of the Constitution.
In accordance with the submitted request, the Criminal Court has issued an order to remand him for 30 days.
The PG Office further stated its intention to seek extensions of the remand period as the investigation progresses, in accordance with the law, and to eventually request a detention order until the conclusion of the trial.
Regarding the background of the case, it was revealed that although Sunny, accused of sexually abusing children, was apprehended at the airport while attempting to flee for a second time, the police initially did not arrest him.
The Maldives Police Service (MPS) reported that Sunny, despite being under suspicion in a criminal case and having committed to cooperate with the investigation, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to leave the Maldives and subsequently released.
He was brought into police custody on Monday upon his arrival at Velana International Airport (VIA), taken to the Family and Child Protection Department in Maafannu for questioning, and released approximately an hour later.
Later that same night, he was again brought into police custody at VIA while attempting to flee by altering his appearance.
Information indicates that he was apprehended after some individuals reported him while he was already boarded on a flight, leading to the plane being held.
He had arrived at the airport wearing a cap and a mask, making him unrecognizable.
However, even after this second attempt to flee, he was not arrested.
When questioned, the police did not provide an answer regarding this matter.
Finally, in a message sent by the police around 8:18pm on Tuesday, it was stated that after being arrested and released on suspicion of attempting to leave the Maldives despite promising cooperation with the investigation, Sunny was subsequently arrested on Tuesday under a court order in connection with the child sexual abuse case he is suspected of.
Therefore, despite being accused of sexually abusing multiple children and attempting to flee twice, Sunny had been released without arrest by the police.
Authorities have also failed to answer questions regarding why this decision was made.
Sunny is accused of sexually abusing a child related to his wife’s family and is also suspected of sexually abusing other minors, including two girls and one boy.
Sunny initially fled the Maldives on November 28 when the case first came to light. The reason for his return to the Maldives remains unclear, and his second attempt to flee occurred while he had been released into the community by the police.