Emails indicate Maldives ex-President Waheed met Jeffrey Epstein
- Maldives
Leaked emails suggest that former Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed met with Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier who was later charged with sex trafficking and accused of abusing and recording minors while engaging influential figures in his network.
Maldives first appeared in the email leaks published by a hacking group in August, when an exchange referred to a planned meeting between Epstein and a “Maldivian president” in New York. In one email, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak stated he had arranged a meeting with the President of the Maldives. The name of the president was not included at the time.
When the email was sent on 28 April 2014, the Maldives had three former presidents: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Mohamed Nasheed, and Mohamed Waheed.
New emails now indicate that Waheed met Epstein twice during his presidency and sought his advice on government matters.
According to the leaked material:
President Waheed met Epstein in 2012 during a visit to the United States for the UN General Assembly.
Waheed shared his travel schedule with Epstein, including a planned dinner.
At the time of the meeting, Epstein had already been convicted of sexually abusing minors.
In 2013, Waheed visited Epstein’s residence.
The exchanges suggest that Waheed maintained a close connection with Epstein and sought guidance on various issues, including:
Advice on improving the Maldives’ international reputation.
Recommendations on appointing a team to enhance the country’s image abroad.
Discussions on the government’s political challenges at the time.
A message from Waheed indicating that an unidentified party wished to deposit USD 4 billion into the Maldives’ central bank — a transaction he told Epstein appeared suspicious and likely fraudulent.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. He was found dead in his cell at a federal detention facility in New York a month later. Investigators concluded that he died by suicide.
