Former Minister of State for Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment Ashad Ali (Adubarey) has returned to Maldives and turned himself into the custody of Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) to serve his jail sentence, on Saturday.
Criminal Court had sentenced Ashad Ali to 15 days in jail earlier in February this year, as Former Youth Minister Ali Waheed had left Maldives for medical treatment after appointing Ashad as a guarantor.
Ali Waheed has an several ongoing cases of rape and sexual violence against him, which he allegedly conducted while he was minister.
Since Ali Waheed did not return to Maldives within the allocated period for him, the court had sentenced Ashad Ali to jail. The sentence was delivered in absentia as he was not in Maldives when the hearing was held either. Mihaaru news had reported that he was in the United Kingdom.
MCS said that he is currently in custody to serve his sentence. He was taken to prison from the airport.
While Ashad was accused of aiding Ali Waheed leaving the country, he was not issued an order prohibiting him from leaving the country, despite the fact he left after he received orders summoning him to court.
Ashad was sentenced to prison as it is unclear if he did anything to bring Ali Waheed back to Maldives. Judge Hassan Saeed said that the failure to bring Ali Waheed to the Maldives within 72 hours violated a court order and violated the contempt of court.
The police has not found a legal way to extradite Ali Waheed back to Maldives.
A red notice or court order can only be issued if there is a bilateral agreement to transfer criminals or suspects under the Extradition Act. Since no such agreement has been made between Maldives and the United Kingdom where Ali Waheed is currently residing, legal experts have said there is no clear way to extradite him back to Maldives.
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