Maldives police seeks Interpol's assistance for ex-tourism minister's arrest
Supreme Court last week sentenced him to two months and 12 days in prison for contempt of court
Former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed
Maldives Police Service (MPS) is seeking Interpol's assistance to locate and arrest former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed.
While the minister who is currently on trial on sexual assault charges left the country in February, the same the day the Criminal Court released his passport on a medical referral, he failed to return within the given period. Further, the lower court's decision to continue hearings online while Waheed remained in United Kingdom was appealed by the state; while the High Court rejected the case, the subsequent appeal filed at the Supreme Court was accepted and a hearing was held last week.
Waheed was told to be present at the court for the hearing in a summon mailed to him, which he failed to do. Hence, the top court sentenced him to two months and 12 days in prison for contempt of court.
Following the top court ruling, Police have confirmed that the necessary work to extradite the disgraced ex-minister to Maldives through Interpol 'is ongoing'.
During a recent interview, prominent lawyer Mohamed Nishan said that law enforcement agencies will be required to seek an Interpol red notice to bring back Ali Waheed, adding that failure to do so would break public view and trust of the justice system.
Ali Waheed was dismissed as tourism minister in July 2020 following accusations of him sexually assaulting and harassing multiple employees at the ministry. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih initially asked Waheed to voluntarily resign but he was dismissed after he failed to forward a resignation letter.
Seven counts of sexual assault charges were raised against him in November 2020; one count of attempted rape, one count of sexual abuse, one count of indecent exposure, one count of sexual harassment and one count of attempted sexual harassment. He is also charged with two counts of solicitation of sexual favors.
At first, he had a travel ban issued against him which was soon dismissed by the Criminal Court following a request by Waheed, allowing him to travel overseas for allegedly unfinished medical treatment on February 9. Following this, he had immediately left to the United Kingdom, and is yet to return, despite the expiration of the four-month limit granted to him by the court, which ended in June.
The lower court's decision to release the former minister's passport as well continue hearings online was appealed by the Prosecutor General's Office, who note that holding a hearing for a criminal trial online with the accused outside of the Maldives was in violation of the Maldives Criminal Procedure Code.
PG Office's biggest concern with Waheed attending the hearings online from abroad is that court hearings should be held where the state can implement the verdict of a Maldivian court.
Waheed claims that the sexual assault allegations against him are “politically motivated”.
