Wrongful arrest in UK nets Ali Waheed £20,000

Fleeing the country for sexual harassment allegations, former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2021 for allegedly violating the country's immigration laws while he was there for medical treatment, and now the UK government has announced that he was wrongfully apprehended and is willing to give him a compensation of 20,000 pounds (MVR 389,369).

Ali Waheed arrived in Male on July 11 after he went abroad in self-exile and stayed in the United Kingdom after being fired and charged with sexually assaulting harrassing female employees of the ministry during his tenure as the first tourism minister of the previous government.

He said that although Maldives had not sued for compensation, he would sue the UK government for his illegal detention while in the UK.

He was arrested in the UK on August 22, 2021, for allegedly violating the country's immigration laws. He was arrested and remanded in custody.

Ali Waheed's legal team said in a statement on Wednesday that the united lawyers' team had consulted with the government before filing a lawsuit against the UK government. During the talks, the authorities agreed that the arrest was illegal and apologized, the statement said.

"The British Government has apologized for the illegal arrest of Ali Waheed by the police and has decided to pay him £20,000 in compensation for the damage caused by the arrest”, Ali Waheed's legal team issued a statement.

In a tweet, Ali Waheed said that right will win even if it takes time.

While the sex offense charges were pending in court, Ali Waheed left the country on a passport that was illegally released on the same day, ostensibly for medical treatment. He has since remained in the UK without appearing in court until the charges were dropped.