Maldives Police Service (MPS) has stated it has not received any information about the reported arrest of former Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed from the UK.
There have been reports that Ali Waheed, who is under trial for rape and sexual harassment charges, was arrested in the UK on August 25 while he was preparing to conduct a press conference. However, MPS stated no authority from the UK has shared information about the arrest with MPS.
Ali Waheed left the Maldives in February while under trial, citing a need for urgent medical treatment. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of the Maldives sentenced Ali Waheed to 2 months and 12 days in prison for contempt of court after he failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing. MPS had stated it is working with Interpol to bring Ali Waheed back to the country for trial.
The former minister is facing charges of sexually assaulting and harassing some of the female employees at the Ministry of Tourism. He has been charged with two counts of sexual abuse, two counts of unlawful sexual contact, a single count of attempted sexual abuse, indecent exposure, and a single count of attempted rape.