Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim congratulated former tourism minister Ali Waheed after the Prosecutor General's (PG) office withdrew charges raised over the alleged sexual assault of female staff.
After Ali Waheed left the Maldives while the trial was ongoing at the criminal court and did not return, the court sent the case back to the PG office on September 22, 2022. The PG office sent the case back to the police on October 6, 2022 with a request to forward it when he returns.
The PG office said in a statement that the victims and witnesses who gave statements have since written letters to both the PG office and the police saying they no longer wished to proceed with the case. The PG office decided therefore that the prosecution cannot be continued further.
In a tweet posted last night with a screenshot of the news about the PG office's decision, Qasim offered "many congratulations to honorable Ali Waheed."
Qasim also spoke in Ali Waheed's defence in the past. At a JP press conference, Qasim had said it was difficult to believe Ali Waheed could have done what he was accused of doing. Ali Waheed was the JP's president at the time.
"I don't even know whether Ali Waheed has been framed or not," said Qasim, a businessman and chairman of the Villa company.
In a message sent to the Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) Whatsapp group at the time, speaker of parliament Mohamed Nasheed also expressed concern about the charges brought against Ali Waheed.
"I've seen the statements. I am very concerned that very serious charges have been raised. I'm in shock," Nasheed said at the time.
Despite the withdrawal of charges, Ali Waheed had been sentenced to two months and 12 days in jail for contempt of court over the failure to attend an appeal hearing at the Supreme Court. The sentence would have to be enforced even if he returns to the Maldives.
The charges
Ali Waheed fled the Maldives on February 10, 2021. Despite an order issued on November 28, 2021 to bring him to court under arrest, he has not been brought back to the country so far.
Ali Waheed went to the UK after the criminal court lifted a travel ban and authorized him to fly overseas for medical treatment. His passport was released after the youth ministry's state minister Assad Ali agreed to stand as a guarantor. Ali Waheed did not return when the period of the agreement expired.
The state appealed the criminal court's decision at both the high court and Supreme Court. But the cases filed at the high court and Supreme Court to withhold his passport were rejected over the failure to deliver summons to Ali Waheed as his whereabouts were unknown.
The PG office then sought an order from the criminal court for the second time to hold Ali Waheed's passport. The refusal to grant the order was appealed but the high court decided it could not hear the case in Ali Waheed's absence.
Ali Waheed was charged with sexual assault, sexual abuse, attempted sexual abuse, attempted rape, indecent exposure and soliciting unlawful sexual contact.
When Ali Waheed refused to resign as told by president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih after he was accused, he was sacked on July 9, 2020.
