Items confiscated by police do not belong to Nazim or his family, say lawyers
22 Jan 2015, 6:42 PM
Ismail Humaam Hamid
Former Defense Minister Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim’s legal team says that items confiscated by police at his apartment last weekend do not belong to him or his family.
Nazim’s lawyers released a press statement today saying that the former minister wanted to to make it clear to the public that he does not know who the “items” belong to.
Former Attorney General – and former cabinet colleague of Nazim – Azima Shukoor will head the legal team who today said that their client did not commit any act in violation of the law and that “he would like to assure everyone that he would not do anything in violation of the law in the future.”
Nazim – who was also acting health minister – was dismissed from his post on Tuesday (January 20), three days after police raided his apartment in the Galolhu ward under a court warrant.
President’s Office spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz tweeted at the time that Nazim had been “expelled from his post due to an ongoing investigation”.
On the same day, Muaz announced that Major General (retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel had been appointed as the new minister of defense and national security.
Police subsequently told the press on Tuesday that they had found dangerous weapons at Nazim’s house during the search, though they denied knowing it was Nazim’s home before the raid.
“We found dangerous weapons at his house,” said Spokesman for Commissioner of Police Ahmed Shifan. “Nazim and some of his family members were questioned regarding the weapons but they failed to adequately respond to the questions.”
Speaking to the media the same day, Nazim said that recent events had shown that no Maldivian was assured of safety and security.
“This gives an alarming signal that entering any house, at any time and to do anything is possible. The defence minister is the most senior official standing beside the president,” he said during a press conference held at the studios of DhiTV.
“It is how things are in all parts of the world. If the situation is so that the minister’s house can be raided at any time, no Maldivian citizen will have safety and security”.
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