AVAS has learned that former State Minister at Ministry of Youth, Ashad Ali, is serving his 15-day sentence at Hulhumale Prison.
On February 2, the Criminal Court ordered Ashad to be jailed for 15 days after failing to fulfill his role as former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed's guarantor to ensure that he attends court. He was found guilty of contempt of court. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih dismissed him from his post following his conviction.
When the sentence was delivered, Ashad was not in the Maldives, and Maldives Correctional Service could not enforce the ruling as they failed to locate him. Corrections sought the assistance of the Maldives Police Service to locate him, who informed that Ashad was abroad and not in the Maldives. On Saturday, Ashad returned to the Maldives and handed himself over to Maldives Correctional Service.
When asked regarding Ashad's detention, Corrections declined to provide any information on the matter. When AVAS questioned a close acquaintance of Ashad regarding his current location, the source confirmed that Ashad was being held at Hulhumale' Prison.
Former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed, against whom a criminal case is ongoing, appointed Ashad as his guarantor to ensure his return when the Criminal Court permitted him to travel overseas for medical purposes. However, Ali failed to appear in court within 72 hours when he was summoned on November 28, 2021.
As Ali had failed to appear in court as agreed, a hearing was held on February 2 to decide how to penalize Ashad in his role as Ali's guarantor. As Ashad failed to appear in court despite summons having been delivered, the sentence was delivered in his absence. The Judge ordered Maldives Correctional Services to jail Ashad for 15 days for violating the agreement with the court and failing to ensure Ali's appearance at court.
