State drops charges against ex-tourism minister
PG office said repeated letters have been received from key witnesses and victims since the case was returned to the police for refiling.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
The Prosecutor General's Office has decided drop and file the sexual offence charges against former tourism minister Ali Waheed.
Ali Waheed was charged on 18 November 2020 with allegedly sexually assaulting and sexually harassing employees of the ministry on various occasions.
The charges against him were:
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Attempted rape
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Sexual abuse
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Sexual harassment
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Indecent exposure
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Illegal sexual relations
The prosecutor's office said in a statement on Wednesday that the decision not to proceed with the charges followed letters from victims and witnesses to the prosecutor's office and police saying they did not want to pursue the case further and wanted to withdraw statements.
The PG office said:
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Repeated letters have been received from key witnesses and victims since the case was returned to the police for refiling
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The police asked for a review of the case in connection with these letters
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When prosecutors examined the possibility of proceeding without their testimony, there was no way to prove the case without the testimony of the witnesses
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Therefore, the case was filed on June 6
Case Summary
While the trial was ongoing, Ali Waheed was allowed to leave for medical treatment. After placing his friend Ashad Ali in his stead, he left the country on an illegally released passport on the same day, ostensibly for medical treatment. He has since remained in the UK without appearing in court.
After that:
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Police say iInterpol had issued a red notice and efforts were on to bring him back
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He was also arrested by the UK after his visa expired while he was on the run despite being asked twice to appear before the court for the hearing of the charges against him
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On September 22, 2022, the court sent the case back to the PG office after attempts to present him to court failed
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The case was sent back to the police on October 6, 2022, to be re-submitted after Ali Waheed could be summoned to the court
