Detained US citizen deported for 10 years
The immigration department was planning to deport the 76-year-old on February 10 over the lack of a passport or valid work visa when a court order was issued to halt the deportation until the cases are concluded.
13 Jun 2017, 9:00 AM
John Seyfert, an American citizen arrested in January for alleged visa violations, was deported Monday night with a ban on entering the Maldives for 10 years.
The immigration department was planning to deport the 76-year-old on February 10 over the lack of a passport or valid work visa when a court order was issued to halt the deportation until the cases are concluded.
Seyfert was locked in litigation with two Maldivian brothers, Abdul Haseeb Mohamed and Abdul Majeed Mohamed, over a business dispute involving a guesthouse in Hulhumalé. Seyfert claimed his family invested over US$250,000 in the Le Vieux Nice Inn but was defrauded by the Maldivian owners who refused to pay him back.
Seyfert was detained at an immigration facility since late January. According to his lawyer Hussain Shakeeb, Seyfert was taken to the hospital on May 31 after he fell down in the bathroom. The lawyer told local media that the injuries left him unable to talk and doctor’s recommended surgery that was unavailable in the Maldives.
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