Supreme Court of Maldives has nullified the 25-year jail sentence on former Parliament Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim. The Supreme Court initially sentenced Ahmed Nazim to 25-years in prison after he was found guilty of deception and fraud.
However, the jail sentence on Nazim was nullified by Supreme Court overturning its initial ruling, once he submitted to review the sentence. In the submission to review the sentence, Nazim stated the state forwarded the case to the Supreme Court after the appeal period had expired. The initial jail sentence was overturned unanimously by the five judges presiding over the case.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the motion to appeal the case was not filed in the allocated period as the position of the Prosecutor General was vacant. However, in the latest ruling, the Supreme Court noted the state failed to file the motion even after several days had passed following the appointment of a new Prosecutor General. Moreover, the Supreme Court ruled his initial sentence must be amended based on a procedural issue.
Following the jail sentence, Nazim lost his seat at the Parliament. After authorisation to leave the country for medical treatment, Nazim spent time in self-exile in the UK, returning to Maldives once President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took office in November.