State presents a

The state has presented a classified document to the High Court in the case of the former Defence Minister Colonel-retired Mohamed Nazim who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for possession of a firearm.

At the appeal hearing held at 1:30 p.m. today at the High Court, the state prosecutors presented the document to the judges. The prosecutors said that it was a classified document.

When the Judge asked when the document was acquired, state prosecutor Adam Aarif said that they did not have the document when the Criminal Court passed the sentence and it was after the sentence was passed that they acquired the document.

Nazim’s side requested that the document be shared with them even if it requires a closed hearing. The state prosecutors said that they have no objection to the document being shared to Colonel Nazim and his lawyers. The Chief Judge on the bench said that the document would be share as much as possible after reviewing it.

At the hour-long session today, Nazim was offered the opportunity to add more to his statement regarding the previously hearing. At this opportunity, Nazim’s lawyer, Husnu Suood said that at the Criminal Court, it was not proven without a reasonable doubt that the firearm found at Nazim’s residence belonged to him.

Suood said that the Criminal Court passed the sentence with a lot of doubt as to owner of the firearm.

Points made by Nazim:

- Nazim’s fingerprint weren’t on the weapon

- Another set of fingerprint on the firearm

- The bag cannot be put in the cupboard without leaving any fingerprints

- While a search was conducted, no view was presented

- Nazim’s room being accessible to others

- Nazim being threatened with calls and messages from a foreign number

Husnu Suood said that the ownership of the firearm was not proven without a doubt at the Criminal Court due to these reasons. And the bag in the cupboard was not linked to Nazim.

Lawyer Suood raised questions as to why the bag was not tested for fingerprints during the course of the trial at the Criminal Court.

Suood said that no evidence was presented by the state to connect Nazim to the firearm found at his residence and it is not reason enough to prove it’s ownership. And he referred to convicting evidence used at trials in the local and international courts.

And so he highlighted cases completed at High Court and Supreme Court.

Ten cases that were being presided over by five judges are now presided over by three judges. Judge Ali Sameer and Judge Abdulla Hameed along with Chief Judge Abdul Rauf are presiding over those cases.