Ex-defence minister Nazim accuses President of framing him

Former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, released a statement on Sunday, accusing President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom of being directly involved in the case that served him a hefty jail sentence.

After being convicted of a ‘terrorist plot’, Nazim received a sentence of 11 years in prison from the Supreme Court. However, while he was receiving medical attention in Malaysia, the Supreme Court delayed the hearing to the following week. Nazim expressed his independent views to media officials after returning back to the capital city of Male’.

Nazim was first jailed after an illegal firearm was found in his apartment, the possession of which is a high-level crime in Maldives.

In a press meeting held at the VIP lounge of Velana International Airport Nazim claimed that he was unjustly jailed for 3 years and 9 months, and accused President Yameen of coming to the decision after colluding with the former Commissioner of Police, Hussain Waheed.

After joining the Jumhooree Party, the former defence minister stated that, in order to prevent the re-occurrence of such cases, the culprits need to be pointed out and severely punished.

“I will put forward the unjust case held against me to the President-Elect [Ibrahim Mohammed Solih] severely so that everyone who was involved in the accusations would be held accountable,” asserted the former defence and health minister.

“President Yameen was involved in the plot with the former Commissioner of Police to hold me accountable for a heinous crime.”

According to Nazim, a warrant to search the defence minister’s property can only be issued by the order of the President.

President Yameen, however, insisted on several occasions that he had no prior knowledge of the former defence minister's arrest. According to the President, he did not remove Nazim from his position until proven guilty by the police evidence.

President Yameen maintains that he had not punished anyone unjustly.

While Nazim was being accused of illegally possessing a weapon, the Police released a statement claiming that the DNA of the former Vice President, Ahmed Adeeb, was supposedly found in the same weapon.

Furthermore, no forensic evidence has been found linking Nazim to the firearm in his apartment.

In addition, Adeeb also supported Nazim’s case, having stated that Nazim had no involvement with the weapon that was found in his apartment.