The first hearing in the appeal lodged by the State with the Supreme Court over the decision to allow online hearings in the case against former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed has been postponed to August 11. 
The first hearing in the case was originally scheduled for last Monday. 
Supreme Court has announced the hearing has been postponed to 01:00 pm on Wednesday, August 11. The court said Ali Waheed has been instructed to present himself for the hearing.
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 were 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. 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.
Criminal Court granted Ali Waheed’s motion to allow him to attend his hearings remotely, despite the objections of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The Prosecutor General’s Office appealed the decision to allow online hearings 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. 
The Prosecutor General’s Office appealed the decision unsuccessfully with the High Court before heading to the Supreme Court.