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Supreme Court annuls case against ex-Defence Minister

Ahmed Aiham
14 December 2018, MVT 01:10
The former Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim. PHOTO: AHMED NISHAATH/MIHAARU
Ahmed Aiham
14 December 2018, MVT 01:10

The Supreme Court (SC), on Thursday, annulled the case held against former Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim.

The Criminal Court sentenced Nazim to 11 years in prison on March 26, 2015, over the possession of an illegal weapon, after a pistol and three bullets were found in his residence.

Judge Abdulla Areef, Judge Adam Mohamed Abdulla and Judge Abdul Ghani Mohamed of the top court unanimously ruled to annul the case, finding Nazim's charges brought by the Criminal Court and High Court to have been charged outside judicial and legal principles.

Judge Adam affirmed that there was a lack of evidence suggesting that the pistol belonged to the defendant, highlighting that the combined presence of former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb's DNA on the pistol as opposed to Nazim's, served as further proof strengthening Nazim's claim that he was framed.

Based on the analysis of the USB drive submitted as evidence against Nazim, as well as the aforementioned lack of evidence, the judges concluded that there was insufficient evidence linking the defendant to the weapon.

Moreover, Judge Adam stated that Police had failed to follow correct procedure during the search of Nazim's residence, adding that testimonies by officers involved in the search had revealed that neither Nazim nor those present at his residence could ascertain whether the evidence had been planted.

On November 4, the apex court ordered a temporary stay order on Nazim's sentence, awaiting a review of the former minister's charges. His last appeal hearing took place late November.

Nazim had previously appealed his conviction at the High Court and Supreme Court but failed on both attempts.

In a letter sent to the Supreme Court by former Vice President Adeeb, he endorsed former Defence Minister Nazim's claims that he was not aware of the presence of a pistol on his premises, nor how it was found in his residence.

On June 21, 2016, police disclosed that Adeeb’s DNA had been found on the pistol, however, they failed to find any DNA evidence or fingerprints linking Nazim to the weapon.

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

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