Home Minister Umar Naseer has revealed that former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, during his tenure as the Tourism Minister had threatened both him and former Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim of consequences if they had proceeded with their agenda.
Minister Umar made the revelation in a special interview given to Avas on the first of this month.
"He was very displeased with me and Nazim. And he threatened both of us directly. I told him he could do nothing. I do believe that he had a core role in framing Nazim," Umar said.
Minister Umar said that the blame of framing Nazim falls squarely on the former Vice President but that he had acted alone and the Government was not implicit in this move. He said he wished to prove the Government was not associated with the framing. The Minister said the Court will determine whether if Nazim was framed or not.
"I want justice for Nazim. A former Vice President has been implied in framing him. We want to prove the Government had no part in this. I will not clearly say whether he was framed or not, as we did not have a role in investigations then, when Adeeb was around. I will seek the Court's verdict," Umar said.
Umar said he had opposed when PPM had nominated Adeeb as the Tourism Minister when former President Waheed was compiling his cabinet. Umar said he had talked with senior officials of the Party over the appointment and the issue was hotly debated. The Minister said Adeeb had questioned him when he was made aware that such debate was going on. Umar said that he had raised doubts over Adeeb's maturity to handle such a position directly to Adeeb. He said that his was why Adeeb had always disliked him.
"He was very displeased when I tried to prevent him. He talked about this after he was appointed as the Tourism Minister. I told him that he was too young for such a position. I didn't want him to become the Tourism Minister because of what I had heard about him, especially as a representative of PPM," Umar said.
While the appeal hearings for Nazim have begun in Supreme Court, Minister Umar said if the new discoveries submitted by the defense warranted additional investigation, he will begin investigations once finalized by Supreme Court and ordered by PG.
"The new evidence is reportedly a video statement given by an individual. If it is a video statement, then there are principles that must be followed in submitting it to Court. There is a video system followed by Court. The witness has to follow that system or present his statement in person," Umar said.
In yesterday's hearing, Nazim's lawyer, Husnu Suood had said that the deposed Vice President Ahmed Adeeb had threatened Nazim and that the Home Minister would be aware of this threat. Suood had requested the Court to summon Minister Umar to testify on this.
In his defense against the weapons charges, Nazim had constantly and consistently said that he was innocent of it and that he had been framed. The revelations that had been made public following the botched assassination attempt on the President, also supported these claims.
Suood had also talked of this in the hearing, noting various points. Suood said that Adeeb was fully aware that the Police was conducting a raid on the residence of the then Defense Minister, prior to the raid. He also said the defense had evidence that Adeeb had contacted journalists informing of the discovery of the pistol in Nazim's residence as well as his arrest and had dispatched journalists to the residence beforehand. He had requested the Court to take the statement of Adeeb to confirm this.
Suood also said that night former CP Hussain Waheed had urgently visited the former PG Muhthaz Muhsin, claiming that Nazim was going to murder him. Suood said this information was supplied to Hussain Waheed by Adeeb. He also said Hussain Waheed, Muhthaz Muhsin and Adeeb had been waiting in a car near Nazim's residence at the time he was arrested.
Suood consistently alleged that Nazim was framed and that it was engineered by Adeeb and Hussain Waheed. Based on their positions at the time, he said that it was an easy endeavor for both. He also said both had worked very hard to defame Nazim and destroy his political career many times over and that the defense had evidence to back this.
Suood consistently alleged that Nazim was framed and that it was engineered by Adeeb and Hussain Waheed. Based on their positions at the time, he said that it was an easy endeavor for both. He also said both had worked very hard to defame Nazim and destroy his political career many times over and that the defense had evidence to back this.
Suood also alleged that Adeeb had tried to dismiss Nazim as the President of LGA two days prior to the raid. He also said the former Vice President on many occasions called and texted Nazim with various messages from a US and a Malaysian number.
Suood said that Home Minister Umar was the one person who was well aware of the political rivalry between Adeeb and Nazim.
