Home Minister Umar Naseer has responded to the allegation by the former President Mohamed Nasheed saying that the Home Minister admitted that the former Defence Minister, Colonel-retired Mohamed Nazim was framed.
The Home Minister responded by saying not to twist his words. And to prove that Nasheed has changed stories before, Minister Umar said the ex-President’s resignation was later changed into a coup.
Former Defence Minsiter, Nazim is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of possession of a firearm.
While the former Defence Minister’s case is currently in appeal at the Supreme Court, Home Minister told Sun Media on Wednesday that the former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb threatened him and the former Defence Minister in a conference call. And the Minister said that he responded saying that he (Adheeb) can’t do anything.
Minister Umar said that that is why it is suspected that Nazim was framed and the suspicion land on Adheeb.
Following the remark, Home Minister Umar said that he is not saying that Nazim was definitely framed or not. But it is a suspicion against a person who was a former Vice President. And he said that since Adheeb was on the cabinet at the time, he did not have the opportunity to investigate.
Maldives United Opposition issued a press statement today saying that the Home Minister said on Thursday that he believes that Adheeb paid the Police to frame Nazim.
And presented it as the Home Minister being aware of the corruption in the most important and responsible institute in the country.
The opposition statement said that the Minister remained silent during an unjust investigation against Nazim and covered up the corruption back then and speaking it now proves his failure as the Home Minister.
And said that the opposition does not believe any further proof is needed when the Minister in charge of the Police has made the confession.
At the Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday, the lawyer representing Nazim, Husnu Suood said that the pistol was brought into Nazim’s apartment by a Police Officer named Asif and placed it on the bed and asked to whom it belonged to. Suood said that there witnesses to prove it and requested that they be summoned to court.
Suood said that the state has failed to prove without a reasonable doubt that the pistol was in the ownership of Nazim. And he said that there is enough evidence to prove that it was brought in to set Nazim up.