Criminal Court of the Maldives has ordered the arrest and extradition of former Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed.
The Criminal Court gave the order to the Maldives Police Service (MPS) following former Minister Waheed's failure to appear in court after fleeing the country while on trial for sexual assault charges.
The Criminal Court has also decided to take action against Ali Waheed's guarantor Minister of State for Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment Ashad Ali. MPS stated it has begun the implementation of the court order to arrest Ali Waheed so he may be presented to the court while in remand.
Former Minister Ali Waheed left the country in February after citing a need for urgent medical treatment. He was allowed to leave for a four-month period after State Minister Ashad Ali agreed to be his guarantor, on the condition that he takes responsibility if Waheed fails to return.
In August, the Supreme Court of the Maldives sentenced Ali Waheed to two months and 12 days in prison for contempt of court after he failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing. In September, MPS stated it has received confirmation that Ali Waheed is being held in the United Kingdom (UK) over immigration-related charges.
The former minister is facing charges of sexually assaulting and harassing 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.