Nazim appeal verdict scheduled for Tuesday

High Court will be issuing their verdict on former Defense Minister Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim’s 11-year jail sentence next Tuesday.

Though it had been previously announced that appeal hearings in Nazim’s case was over, judges scheduled another hearing for Thursday because they felt it necessary to summon additional witnesses to further research the case.

Testimony was heard from six SWAT team officers who raided Nazim’s apartment and found the pistol, which he was jailed for.

They were witnesses that Criminal Court did not approve, but were requested by Nazim.

Testimony from the three witnesses were taken anonymously.

Nazim’s legal team said that testimony from the six witnesses were requested in order to prove that Nazim was framed.

The witnesses testified that they had raided Nazim’s apartment after breaking down the door to the apartment, but had not broken down the door to Nazim’s bedroom. Some witnesses said that the bedroom door had been slightly ajar. And that they had applied slight force when attempt was made to close the door from inside.

Some witnesses testified that no one from the SWAT team entered Nazim’s bedroom, while some testified that two, three officers had entered Nazim’s bedroom, but had not gone that far inside. And that they surrounded Nazim and his wife and escorted them out of the bedroom in about a minute’s time.

Witnesses testified that they had been informed before they were sent on the operation that it was a case involving lethal weapons. One testified that a senior officer had said that it might be the residence of a gang member or a religious extremist.

Some had testified that they had carried a bag when they went to Nazim’s apartment, while others claimed to have no knowledge of any bag being carried into the apartment.

However, all witnesses testified that they had not kept a pistol or any other weapon inside Nazim’s bedroom.

The verdict will be issued on March 15.