Ex-State Minister Assad Ali in London when sentenced to prison

Former State Minister for Sports Assad Ali (Adubarey) - who had signed as surety – allowing former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed to travel oversees despite being on trial on charges of sexual violence against multiple women – was in London when he was sentenced to 15 days in prison on Wednesday. 

A family member confirmed to Sun that Adubarey left Maldives a couple of days back. 

Adubarey’s daughter’s posts on Snapchat show they are currently in the UK, while a top official from Sports Ministry confirmed he hadn’t reported to work for some six days, before he was dismissed following his conviction on Wednesday. 

The Criminal Court hearing to sentence Adubarey was held in absentia. 

At the hearing, Judge Hassan Saeed said Adubarey gave no credible reason for his absence, and said that it would therefore be treated as an act of contempt of court. 

The judge said there was no evidence Adubarey made any effort to have Ali Waheed return to Maldives within the court-mandated time period. 

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

He has been pressed with seven charges; 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, 2021, despite requests by the Prosecutor General's Office not to release his passport and grant him temporary travel papers instead.  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 in June 2021.

It has been over a month since the court warned it would penalize Adubarey if Ali Waheed failed to return to Maldives within 72 hours.