Justice Husnu Suood has stated the Supreme Court will remain steadfast in upholding the laws of the country and that no Maldivian is exempt from these laws. He made the statement during the Supreme Court hearing scheduled for former Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed.
The Supreme Court sentenced Ali Waheed to two months and 12 days in prison for contempt of court after failing to appear at the hearing. At the hearing, Justice Suood said the top court will not hesitate to take action against any Maldivian that refuses to heed court orders.
Justice Suood said citizens will become distrustful of the judicial system if they feel that some individuals are exempt from facing trial for their crimes. He also said Ali Waheed had left the country after being charged and without providing any details on how to contact him or the specific location he was travelling to. Ali Waheed has deliberately hindered the trial as he had agreed to appear at the Supreme Court hearing but has failed to do so, he added.
Supreme Court has ordered the Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) to carry out the prison sentence given to Ali Waheed.
Ali Waheed left the country in February after citing a need for urgent medical treatment and later requested Criminal Court that he attend the hearings via videoconferencing. The former minister is facing charges of sexually assaulting and harassing some of the female employees at the Ministry of Tourism. He has been charged with two counts of sexual abuse, two counts of unlawful sexual contact, a single count of attempted sexual abuse, indecent exposure, and a single count of attempted rape.