Religious scholar Ilyas Hussain has said that Dr. Mohamed Shaheem, the running mate of President Abdulla Yameen, had told him that jailed former defence minister Mohamed Nazim was framed.

He said this while speaking to the press on Saturday at the airport after authorities seized his passport.

Sheikh Ilyas told the press that the current situation he has forced him to talk about the former defence minister's case, who was jailed when Dr. Shaheem was the Islamic minister.

Ilyas said that Dr. Shaheem had expressed concern over the injustice of Nazim’s imprisonment and also told him that a close associate of President Abdulla Yameen had told Shaheem that the President wants to ‘punish’ his jailed half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the former President and opposition leader, the most out of all the other jailed politicians.

Dr. Shaheem had also complained of the current administration’s oppression and claimed that he had repeatedly told it publicly as well. Ilyas said he had asked Dr. Shaheem why he chooses to remain in government.

RaajjeMV has been unable to get a word from Dr. Shaheem as he has ignored the phone calls and messages.

Ilyas’ passport was confiscated, on the order of the S. Hithadhoo Magistrate Court, as he was leaving for Malaysia. This comes after the police service issued a summons for Ilyas after he made claims regarding fellow scholar Dr. Afrasheem Ali’s murder in a speech.

Speaking to the press at the airport, Ilyas said he will reveal more as the situation unfolds.