"You are my saviour": Maldives ex-president Waheed to Jeffrey Epstein

The files, which include Dr Waheed's official itinerary and email correspondence, show that Epstein received detailed scheduling information for then-president Waheed's trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly in September 2012. The pair maintained regular contact through at least early 2013 as Dr Waheed prepared to contest the presidential elections in September that year.

"Thank you. You are my savior. I will do exactly what you said," Dr Waheed wrote in an email to Epstein on January 27, 2013, eight months before his humiliating defeat in the first round of the polls with five percent of the vote. 

Waheed – who was appointed as President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's special envoy in late May “to utilise his extensive experience to advance the Maldives’ diplomatic interests” – appears to have dined privately with Epstein in 2012, four years after the disgraced financier's widely reported conviction for soliciting prostitution from an underaged girl. Details of the controversial plea agreement that allowed Epstein to only serve 13 months and avoid more serious charges had been public knowledge by then. Numerous civil lawsuits from Epstein's alleged victims were proceeding through the courts when Waheed sought Epstein's counsel on campaign strategy and major financial decisions in 2013.

Epstein's relationship with an unnamed former Maldives president first came to light last August when leaked emails exchanged with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak mentioned a scheduled meeting with a former Maldives president. Suspicion fell on Waheed at the time after former presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed were placed elsewhere at the time of the meeting in New York. 

According to an official itinerary document, Waheed's schedule for his week-long visit to New York included a "Private Dinner Event - Jeffrey Epstine [sic]" on the evening of Sunday, September 23, 2012. The president was to depart the Helmsley Hotel at 8:00pm with the event scheduled until 10:30pm.

The itinerary's inclusion of Epstein's dinner alongside official meetings with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Barack Obama's reception at the Waldorf Astoria, and bilateral meetings with foreign ministers suggests the meeting was considered significant enough to be documented in the president's formal schedule.

The detailed program also included events for First Lady Ilham Hussein, who was not listed as attending the Epstein dinner. The couple stayed at the Helmsley Hotel on 42nd Street during the visit.

Email correspondence from January 2013 reveals Dr Waheed turning to Epstein for guidance as he assembled his campaign team. It shows how Epstein connected Waheed with political consultants and communications advisors.

In one exchange, Waheed updated Epstein on the preparations: "The campaign team is starting to come together. We are continuing discussions with Jim and tomorrow we will meet him face to face on Skype." He mentioned seeking additional help with international communications, noting that "some old negative stuff keeps coming up in The Guardian newspaper in England."

The day before Waheed's email, The Guardian had published an article on the murder of moderate cleric Dr Afrasheem Ali and rising religious extremism in the Maldives. The analysis by Jason Burke described Waheed's February 2012 ascension to power in an alleged "coup supported by Islamists".

It followed multiple articles critical of Waheed's government, including a December 19 piece detailing human rights abuses by the Maldives police and accusing Dr Waheed of using training partnerships to "manipulate international opinion." The article referred to how he "took power in February [2012] after the police helped to force the first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed, from office."

The coverage appeared to have prompted Waheed to seek Epstein's help with international communications.

Epstein responded by recommending Lisa Svensson, "my friend in Sweden" who "would be perfect as your right hand orgainzing [sic] your team" and noting she "has diplomaitc [sic] experieince and is currently amabssador [sic] to the oceans for Sweden." 

Svensson served as Sweden's Ambassador for Ocean, Seas and Fresh Water from 2012 to 2015. She later became Director of the Marine Branch at UN Environment Programme. A 2020 Norway Today investigation found that Epstein had mentioned Svensson in emails to Ghislaine Maxwell, claiming contact with her regarding ocean conferences. Svensson's representatives later stated she "did not invite Ms. Maxwell to any conference or meeting" while heading UNEP's oceans branch.

The correspondence also indicates that Waheed had previously visited Epstein's residence. In one email, Waheed writes: "I remember meeting Jagland at your place when I came with Sultan" – an apparent reference to Norwegian politician Thorbjørn Jagland and Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.

A former prime minister of Norway, Jagland served as Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019. He was also chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee during this period. Jagland was a prominent figure in European human rights circles.

Sulayem was CEO of Dubai Ports World, one of the world's largest port operators, and one of Dubai's most prominent businessmen. He pioneered major Dubai developments including Jebel Ali Free Zone and worked with Nakheel on projects like the Palm Islands. In 2014, president Abdulla Yameen, Waheed's successor, explored a deal with DP World to develop a port in Thilafushi. However, the government ultimately decided against the proposed joint venture.

In late January 2013, Waheed sought Epstein's advice on a suspicious financial proposal that came from his finance minister Abdulla Jihad, who had presented a deal in which an anonymous funds manager offered to deposit US$ 4 billion in the Maldives central bank and lend a percentage back to the government in exchange for promissory notes.

Writing to Epstein on January 27, 2013, Waheed expressed deep concerns about the arrangement: "I don't feel I have enough information on this. I don't know who is this funds manager. They always want the finance minister to meet them in Bangkok or some place outside. Why would anyone want to deposit such a large amount here when we don't have a credit rating and public debt is so high. I feel very uncomfortable about this."

Waheed added that both the finance minister and "a leading politician and leader of the coalition parliamentary group" were promoting the deal. "Does this sound all ridiculous to you. I have a strange feeling about this whole thing," he wrote.

The majority leader of parliament, whom Waheed identified as a rival for the presidency, was Yameen, who led the Progressive Party of Maldives' parliamentary group at the time and went on to win the 2013 presidential election. Finance minister Jihad would become Yameen's third vice president in June 2016.

Epstein's response was unequivocal. He identified the proposal as an advance-fee fraud scheme, quoting from what he called "a fraud web site": "The essential fact in all advance-fee fraud operations is that the promised money transfer never happens – because the money does not exist."

He advised Waheed to "Stay away," but suggested an alternative strategy: "if you want to embarass [sic] your possible opponent, you might set it up so that he looks like a fool." Epstein recommended having the politician submit a detailed memo supporting the proposal, "so that when you prove its a fraud, you will make him look very silly as opposed to his saying, you missed an opportunity."

On May 26 this year, President Muizzu appointed Waheed as a special envoy to salvage critical diplomatic relationships after the foreign ministry only managed to secure US$ 6.5 million out of US$ 162 million projected as grant aid in the 2025 budget.

The Maldives Independent has reached out to Waheed for comment. President's Office Communication Minister Ibrahim Khaleel was not responding at the time of the publication. 

From: Jeffrey Epstein

Sent: January 9, 2013, 6:03 PM

To: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

how is it shaping up? what are the biggest hurdles.

*

From: Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik

Sent: January 10, 2013, 11:00 AM

To: Jeffrey Epstein

Hi,

The campaign team is starting to come together. We are continuing discussions with Jim and tomorrow we will meet him face to face on skype. We will brief him on the situation here so that he will be able to advice us more effectively. Already he has sent some very useful suggestions and we are working on them.

Getting the right people to head various aspects on the campaign is difficult here but we should be able to pull the team together shortly.

We will need some more help from Ian and Rory because we are still weak on international communication. Some old negative stuff keeps coming up in the Guardian newspaper in England. But most of the international media is not paying much attention to Maldives right now.

I have asked Rory to help find a full time communications guy to stay here for about a year to work with me. He doesn't have to be an expert, just a good graduate student would do. Some really positive stuff is also happening now and we need the world to know about them.

World Energy Forum and CGI guys are here. I am meeting Clinton people in a few minutes.

I have some funding now but will ask all friends to help raise more later when things start happening in full swing. Election is now scheduled to early September.

Hope all is well and look forward to seeing you here in the not too distant future.

Warm regards,

Waheed

*

From: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

Sent: January 17, 2013, 3:26 PM

To: Jeffrey Epstein

Hi,

Would be great if Lisa could visit us. She sounds like the right person to help us get organized.

Maldives just got elected Vice President of International Renewable Energy Agency. We are also Vice Chair of the UN Human Rights Council. Not too bad considering we had so much bad coverage this year internationally.

Best regards,Waheed

Sent from my iPad

*

From: Jeffrey Epstein

Sent: January 17, 2013, 7:01 PM

To: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

my friend in sweden, lisa svensson, would be perfect as your right hand orgainzing your team she has diplomaitc experieince and is currently amabssador to the oceans for sweden

*

From: Jeffrey Epstein

Sent: January 18, 2013, 2:40 AM

To: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

Subject: Re:

also be advised that thorbjorn jagland is a great friend.

*

From: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

Sent: January 18, 2013, 5:27 AM

To: Jeffrey Epstein

I remember meeting Jagland at your place when I came with Sultan.

Sent from Windows Mail

*

From: Jeffrey Epstein

Sent: January 18, 2013, 5:06 PM

To: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

as chairman of the council of europe , he is really mr human rights, Im sure that if he can be of help, he will

*

From: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

Sent: January 27, 2013, 3:49:54 AM

To: Jeffrey Epstein 

Subject: Re:

Importance: High

Jeffrey,

Need your advice.

My finance minister is telling me that he has an anonymous funds manager who is willing to deposit 4 billion dollars in Maldives and that they are willing to lend a percentage of that in exchange for government promissory notes. The 4 billion would be deposited in the Central Bank. But they want us to set up a special purpose vehicle, a construction company fully owned by the government to receive the loan. Such a company can only be set up under a presidential decree.

I am also told that the funds manager would be charging Maldives upfront a certain percentage of the amount lent.

I don't feel I have enough information on this. I don't know who is this funds manager. They always want the finance minister to meet them in Bangkok or some place outside. Why would anyone want to deposit such a large amount here when we don't have a credit rating and public debt is so high. I feel very uncomfortable about this.

What do you think I should do. I am very uncomfortable. In addition to the finance minister, a leading politician and leader of the coalition parliamentary group is behind it. He could be my leading contender for presidency.

Does this sound all ridiculous to you. I have a strange feeling about this whole thing.

Best regards

Waheed

Sent from my iPad

*

From: Jeffrey Epstein

Sent: January 27, 2013

To: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

this from a fraud web site, your mimister will get upset that you dont want to at least try, what do we have to lose, always the pitch. THe following from the fraud site. --The essential fact in all advance-fee fraud operations is that the promised money transfer never happens—because the money does not exist. The perpetrators rely on the fact that, by the time the victim realizes this (often only after being confronted by a third party who has noticed the transactions or conversation and recognized the scam), the victim may have sent thousands of dollars of their own money, and sometimes thousands or millions more that has been borrowed or stolen, to the scammer via an untraceable and/or irreversible means such as wire transfer Stay away, however if you want to embarass your possible opponent, you might set it up so that he looks like a fool, ask for amemo of why he thinks you should agree, have it include as many detials as possible, so that when you prove its a fraud, you will make him look very silly as opposed to his saying, you missed an opportunity, anyway glad you are well

*

From: Mohamed Waheed Hassan

Sent: January 27, 2013, 4:33:18 AM

To: Jeffrey Epstein 

Subject: Re:

Importance: High

Thank you. You are my savior. I will do exactly what you said.

Sent from my iPhone