Police to re-open ex-minister's weapons possession case

Maldives Police Service have announced on Monday their decision to re-open the case of former Defence Minister, Mohamed Nazim.

Colonel Nazim was convicted on charges of criminal possession of a pistol. While the former minister insists that he is innocent and maintains that he was framed, the police will now be probing the case in a fresh investigation.

Nazim recently appealed to the police to re-investigate the case, while also making the same request personally to Acting Police Commissioner, Mohamed Hameed in a bid to persuade a new investigation.

The police said on Monday night that they decided to reopen Nazim's case based on the conclusion of court proceedings and verdict of the case.

Back in 2015, the Criminal Court sentenced Colonel Nazim to 11 years in prison for failing to prove in court that the pistol and bullets dicovered in his private residence did not belong to him. The High Court had supported the sentence.

When the High Court's decision was appealed at the Supreme Court, the top court initially refused to accept the case. Police later announced after Nazim's conviction that while Nazim’s fingerprints had not been found on the weapon, they had recovered DNA belonging to former Vice President Adeeb from the pistol found in Nazim's home. Due to this development, the apex court recently acquitted Nazim, declaring his innocence due to the definite involvement of a third party in the case, which contradicts the verdict of the Criminal Court.

Nazim continues to insist that the pistol was planted in his home by rogue police officers in a conspiracy orchestrated by Adeeb and then president, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom.