Maldives Police Service has re-launched investigation on the firearm case related to former Minister of Defence Colonel (Rtd.) Mohamed Nazim. Maldives police stated the decision was made following a request from Nazim to re-investigate the case.
Nazim was brought to custody on January 18, 2014 after a police raid found a pistol from his apartment. In 2015, the Criminal Court sentenced the former defence minister to 11 years in prison after finding him guilty of possessing a firearm. The High Court upheld the Criminal Court sentence. Further, an appeal filed at the Supreme Court was rejected in 2016.
However, once the presidency changed, Nazim requested the Supreme Court to review his case. The Supreme Court began reviewing the sentence on the former defence minister upon his request.
Following the reviewing process, the Supreme Court highlighted the pistol found in his apartment contained the DNA of former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, which served as further proof strengthening the claim that Nazim was framed.
The Supreme Court nullified the 11-year jail sentence due to insufficient evidence linking the defendant to the weapon. The former defence minister submitted a case at the police to re-investigate the allegations that he was framed on January 19.