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Supreme Court annuls former MP Nazim's sentence

Ahmed Aiham
13 December 2018, MVT 22:11
Former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim, returns to Maldives following his self-exile to the United Kingdom. PHOTO: NISHAN ALI/MIHAARU
Ahmed Aiham
13 December 2018, MVT 22:11

Supreme Court (SC), on Thursday, annulled the 25-year sentence imposed on the former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim.

The top court sided unanimously with Nazim's request to appeal, ruling that based on a procedural issue, his former sentence must be amended.

The former parliament representative for the constituency of Dhiggaru, Meemu Atoll was in attendance when Supreme Court overturned the hefty sentence.

In the case preceded over by Judge Abdulla Areef, Judge Adam Mohamed Abdulla and Judge Abdulla Didi, the defence argued that the period of appeal had expired by the time Supreme Court overturned the High Court's 2014 ruling in Nazim's favour.

According to the state, the motion to appeal could not be filed during the allotted period because the position of Prosecutor General (PG) had been vacant. However, Judge Afeef affirmed that the state conceded to the fact that it had failed to file a motion to appeal over the course of several days following the appointment of a new PG.

Highlighting that the right to appeal is granted to all citizens, Judge Areef noted that the period of appeal differs from nation to nation. Stating that a failure to file the motion before the period of expiration effectively cements the ruling made by a lower court, the Judge stated that an appeal filed post-expiration can be accepted only under special circumstances.

Nazim was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2015, on charges of corruption, over defrauding the state of MVR 1.4 million (USD 91,400) by submitting bids on behalf of non-existent companies.

After being authorized to leave the country for medical treatment, Nazim lived in exile at the United Kingdom, returning to Maldives shortly after the stay order was issued.

On November 4, following a request made by the Prosecutor General's Office to review the case, the Supreme Court ordered a temporary stay order on enforcing Nazim's sentence until a judgement was reached.

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