Former Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed has defended former President Abdulla Yameen, who is serving a five-year sentence over money laundering.
Ali Waheed, who is on trial for rape and sexual harassment charges, defended Yameen on Twitter after the former minister was arrested while hiding in the UK. Ali Waheed, who had also been in self-exile in the UK during Yameen's rule, was a prominent figure in denouncing Yameen for his involvement in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) money laundering scandal at the time.However, in a recent tweet, Ali Waheed claimed the state cannot levy any legitimate charges against Yameen in relation to the MMPRC money laundering case, adding that was the reason his bank accounts were not frozen during the international investigation.
Ali Waheed said he refuses to back down in the face of tyranny and the use of political charges to frame individuals, and that he will take any action necessary to establish a fair and humane justice system for Maldivians. In subsequent tweets, the former minister accused Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem of being involved in the MMPRC corruption scandal.
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 conduct, a single count of attempted sexual abuse, indecent exposure, and a single count of attempted rape.
In August, the Supreme Court of the Maldives sentenced Ali Waheed to two months and 12 days in prison for contempt of court after he failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing.