JP finally moves to dismiss Ali Waheed as party president

Former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed speaks to press outside Maldives Police Service headquarters on July 19, 2020. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)

A motion has been submitted to government coalition partner Jumhoory Party (JP)’s Ethics Committee to make a decision regarding dismissing former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed as the party’s president.

The decision to submit the no-confidence motion against Ali Waheed was made during JP’s 142nd council meeting last Monday night.

JP’s spokesperson Ali Solih told Sun on Tuesday afternoon that the issue was of great concern of a great number of JP members, and that the motion was proposed by a member.

Ali Solih said the Ethics Committee will investigate the case in accordance with regulations, and dismiss Ali Waheed as party president.

He attributed the delay in Ali Waheed’s dismissal to the interruption in party activities and council meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It will be done once the Ethics Committee makes its decision. A decision will be made then,” he said.

Ali Solih said JP, during the council meeting on Monday, also decided to restart its political activities.

ON TRIAL FOR MULTIPLE CHARGES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Ali Waheed was dismissed as Tourism Minister on July 9, 2020, following allegations that he sexually assaulted and harassed multiple female employees at the Tourism Ministry. He was initially asked to voluntarily resign but was dismissed after he refused.

He is on trial for seven charges of sexual violence; attempted rape, inflicting a sexual, indecent exposure, sexual assault, attempt to cause sexual assault, and two counts of unlawful sexual contact.

He initially had a travel ban order against him, but the Criminal Court temporarily released his passport and allowed him to travel overseas for medical treatment on February 9. He promptly left for the UK.

Ali Waheed failed to return to Maldives despite the fact that the four-month period granted by the court for his travel overseas expired last June.

Once in the UK, Ali Waheed filed a motion asking the Criminal Court to allow him to attend his hearings remotely. The motion was allowed by the court despite the objections of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The Prosecutor General’s Office appealed the decision with the High Court, citing that holding a hearing via video conferencing in a criminal trial with the defendant in a location outside of Maldives’ jurisdiction is in violation of Criminal Procedure Code, and that the court will not have the jurisdiction to penalize the defendant, even if he acts in contempt of the court.

However, the appeal was rejected by the High Court, and the Prosecutor General's Office headed to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court sentenced Ali Waheed to two months and 12 days in prison for contempt of court on August 11, after he failed to appear at the appeal hearing.