Maldives home minister resigns after gang surveillance block

Home Minister Umar Naseer resigned on Tuesday days after the president stripped him of the authority to issue surveillance orders.

Umar's resignation also came moments after jailed former defence minister Mohamed Nazim's lawyer made a stunning revelation that the DNA found on the handgun found in Nazim's residence for which he was convicted matched former vice president Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor who is accused of framing Nazim.

Nazim who is serving 11 years in prison for weapons possession has maintained that the hand gun was planted in his residence, though the High Court had also backed the lower court verdict.

The former defence minister's lawyer during a press conference on Tuesday said the police forensic report had shown that the DNA found on the gun discovered at Nazim's residence matched Adheeb who himself is serving 10 years for weapons possession.

The home minister is yet to specify a reason behind his sudden decision to step down but Umar last week had admitted that Adheeb was more than capable of framing Nazim after admitting the ex-VP had threatened Nazim.

Umar's influence within the government has been on the decline after his crackdown on gangs.

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on Sunday relieved the home minister of the authority to issue monitoring and control (MONICON) orders to appoint a four member committee to handle the task.

However, the controversial anti terrorism law only affords the authority to issue MONICON orders to the home minister. But the newly formed committee mandated to “advise” the home minister on MONICON orders has effectively relieved the minister as the sole authority for such orders.

Maldives has electronically tagged, conducted surveillance and intercepted communications of several high-profile gang members which has put pressure on Umar from even within the government.

Opposition parties have continued to accuse president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom for having links to gangs.

The decision to relieve Umar of MONICON authority also came after a spate of gang related stabbings that left two fourteen year olds dead.