The Prosecutor General (PG’s) Office today requested that the High Court void a previous Criminal Court dismissal of four corruption cases against People’s Alliance (PA) MP and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim.
Nazim had been cleared by the Criminal Court of all four corruption charges against him on February 23, 2012. The decision was taken 16 days after the controversial transfer of power on February 7, with the court ruling that Nazim’s “acts were not enough to criminalize him.”
All four cases concerned public procurement tenders of the former Atolls Ministry, which were alleged to have been secured through fraudulent documents and paper companies.
The state prosecutor during today’s hearing claimed that the Criminal Court had acted in contradiction to the procedures normally applied in criminal cases.
The prosecutor also alleged that in passing the ruling to dismiss the cases, the Criminal Court had failed to consider any of the evidence provided by the state.
During today’s appeal hearing, the PG’s Office stated that the dismissal of the cases had breached the constitutional decree of equal treatment to all citizens. Concerns were also raised that the Criminal Court had acted against the norms of procedure in similar cases by ruling that two counts of fraud cases against Nazim could not be prosecuted.
Considering these grounds, the state asked the High Court to rule void the Criminal Court’s dismissal of the four cases, and to order the court to rule on the cases anew.
Nazim dismissed the state’s allegations in court today, local media reported. Speaking on his behalf, his lawyer alleged that the state’s appeal case was “based around a lie”.
Nazim’s lawyer responded to the state’s allegation that the Criminal Court had not followed procedures by claiming that the court had presented the state with an opportunity to present their case during hearings.
The defendant’s lawyer also alleged that the witnesses named by the state had not been presented in court as they were not believed to be fair or impartial witnesses.
Last month, Nazim slammed PG Ahmed Muizzu in parliament, stating that he had failed to either come to a decision on or forward to court some 72 percent of cases submitted to his office by the Maldives Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The criticisms levelled by Nazim were dismissed at the time by the PG himself, who said that the claims were inaccurate.
PG Ahmed Muizzu and MP Ahmed Nazim were not responding to calls at the time of press.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
High Court concludes hearings into deputy speaker’s corruption case- Prosecution calls for for retrial of Deputy Speaker’s corruption case
- High Court grants Humam a month to appoint lawyer in death penalty appeal
- Former undersecretary sentenced to house arrest
- Appeal hearings on Farhad murder case ends
- MP Hamid files complaint against Chief Justice
Our court system is systematically being dis reputed and destroyed due to corruption. Those who are innocent is dragged to court and sentenced for a political gain, and those who are guilty is set free. Anni was right to hold judge gaazee in detention and to reform this corrupt justice system. But he took the last playing card of opposition.
It is hard to tell who is following what norms of procedure!!!!
On the 7th of February last year, we saw a new type of coup (as Dr. Hassan Saeed says) taking place.
We saw unauthorized and irrelevant people doing all sorts of things.
The resignation letter that President Nasheed wrote by hand and handed over to the relevant personnel in the President's Office for delivery procedures was said to be taken away from that personnel by unauthorized people, as it was, without any official stamp or numbers etc., etc.!
No one, not the PG, not the Speaker of Majlis or anyone for that matter have raised any question about any of these!
This is a day the people of this country lost a basic right!
I am sure it is the duty of the Speaker of the Majlis, and the PG, to raise questions and do justice to the people of this country!
Tit for Tat fights and doing things to drape public eyes is not going to clear facts of the criminal cases of Nazim, or the irresponsibility and laziness of the PG we are to live with, for the time being!
This looks more like a dummy and or a mockery rather than anything of substance!
Mr. X