State Minister for Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Assad ‘Adubarey’ Ali has been stripped from his post.

This comes following the jail sentence issued against him by the Criminal Court on Wednesday, in connection to Ali Waheed’s case.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih removed Assad from his position mere hours after he was issued a jail sentence of 15 days for contempt of court, as the guarantor for Former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed who failed to appear at court for his trial on several charges of sexual assault.

Presiding judge in the case, Judge Hassan Saeed revealed that no efforts were observed from Assad Ali to bring Ali Waheed back to the country. However, Assad Ali continued to assert that he had only signed on as guarantor for the disgraced former minister for a four-month period.

The state minister is to have revealed that he was not ordered to present himself to court in the period. Highlighting that this was contempt of the court, the presiding judge revealed that Assad’s negligence in the entire case is evident.

The last hearing in connection to the case was held at the Criminal Court on November 28, where Judge Hassan Saeed issued a bench order to arrest Ali Waheed and bring him to the hearings under policy custody, and that state minister for Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Assad Ali, who signed as a guarantor deal for Waheed to travel overseas, will be penalized as well. As such, the court ordered the guarantor to present Ali Waheed to court within 72 hours and warned him of action should he fail to do so.

His penalization comes at a time Assad failed to appear at the hearing held on Wednesday.

While Assad Ali revealed that Ali Waheed had appeared before the court within the four-month period as mandated in the guarantor’s agreement, referring to his attendance in online hearings held in the case previously, the presiding judge revealed that the Supreme Court had ordered against holding online hearings in the case.

Judge Saeed revealed that Assad’s failure to present himself to court on Wednesday was also an act of contempt of court and that he had not even informed the court of the circumstances that led to his failure to attend a court hearing.

The first hearing in connection to the case was held on 9 February 2021, during which Ali Waheed was granted his request to travel overseas for medical treatment. Doctors are to have confirmed that Ali Waheed had spine issues and required surgery, which could be complicated and that Maldives did not have the adequate amenities to carry out the operation.

In reference to the doctor’s statement, the court had decided to grant approval for Ali Waheed’s departure.

Waheed traveled to UK after signing a guarantor deal with Assad and was given a four-month medical leave. He departed shortly after being granted the request to travel, on February 9. The period granted to him ended in June.

Assad had earlier addressed an email to Ali Waheed, urging for him to return, to which he responded by saying that he was under immigration custody and that he had informed the Criminal Court of this during August 2021 as well.

In his letter, the former minister claimed that there was nowhere he wanted to be, more than Maldives, highlighting that he already has tickets to return. Assad had detailed in his letter that he would help Ali Waheed with the tickets as well.

He also addressed a letter to the Criminal Court, explaining the situation and highlighting that he had signed on as guarantor for a four-month period, during which there were no court orders to present Ali Waheed to court.

The state minister also addressed a letter to the High Commissioner of Maldives to the United Kingdom, Dr. Farahanaz Faizal for assistance in aiding his return.

Assad is to have requested to review the decision to penalize him in connection to the case and requested to grant him the opportunity to appoint legal representation and explain himself at court through a scheduled hearing.

The disgraced ex-minister who has been charged with several counts of sexual assault, was arrested on 25 August 2021 while in hiding in the UK, through Interpol. He was preparing for a press conference at the time of the arrest. Ali Waheed’s visa had expired on 10 August 2021. 12 days after his arrest from the UK, Maldives Police Service (MPS) was officially informed of Ali Waheed’s arrest on 7 September 2021.

Since then, Media Official at the Maldives Police Service has commented that efforts were being made with Interpol to ensure that Waheed is extradited to do his time as per a Supreme Court sentencing issued for contempt of court. The police also said that police-to-police cooperation was being conducted in the matter.

He is being extradited to fulfil his sentencing of two months and 12 days, due to contempt of court. This is being done with the aid of Correctional officers at the Maldivian Correctional Service, as the MCS was ordered to enforce the sentencing. However, he still remains overseas.

While the former minister is accused of sexually assaulting ministry employees, seven charges were raised against him in November 2020; including 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.

Following the allegations against Waheed, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ordered him to resign and consecutively stripped him from the ministerial post after he failed to forward a resignation letter.

Waheed claims that the sexual assault allegations against him were “politically motivated”.