On Tuesday, former president Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik stepped down from his position as the Special Envoy to the President.

The President’s Office stated that Waheed submitted his resignation letter to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday morning, not revealing any additional details.

Significantly, Waheed has stepped down following his inclusion in the Epstein files, a collection of more than six million pages comprising documents, images, and videos that outline the criminal actions of American financier and convicted child sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein. In this context, Waheed faces allegations of correspondence with Epstein through email.

The previous president has not yet made a statement regarding the issue.

Waheed was designated as the President's Special Envoy on May 26th of the previous year to promote the Maldives’ diplomatic objectives.

Waheed holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and a Teaching Diploma from the American University of Beirut, along with a Master’s Degree in Education Planning and a PhD from Stanford University.

He has worked as a news anchor, an educator, a school principal, an international civil servant for the United Nations with UNICEF, UNDP, and UNESCO, and served as a member of Parliament.

Waheed held the position of Vice President from 2008 to 2012 under former President Mohamed Nasheed’s government, and he was the acting President from 2012 to 2013 after Nasheed resigned.

The Epstein files have disgraced notable public figures worldwide, including politicians, royalty, major corporations, and celebrities.

Prominent individuals referenced in the Epstein files consist of US President Donald Trump, ex-US President Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Bill Gates, and Prince Andrew of the UK.