Nazim undergoes back surgery

Former People’s Majis Deputy Speaker and Dhiggaru representative Ahmed Nazim, who is serving a life sentence for graft, underwent a back surgery on Friday.

Nazim’s family members who spoke to “Sun” on Saturday said that the surgery was a success. But that he will be kept under observation at the hospital for at least four days.

Nazim underwent the surgery at Raffles Hospital in Singapore.

Nazim’s family said that it was the second surgery that Nazim underwent in a matter of a month. And that he underwent a surgery on his right thumb on January 4.

Nazim was previously scheduled to undergo the back surgery on January 16, but was postponed due to the risk factor associated with undergoing two surgeries under anesthesia within such a short period of time.

Maldives Correctional Service has allowed for an extension of two months for Nazim to receive treatment abroad.

He is required to return back to jail by end of March.

Once a close ally of President Abdulla Yameen, Nazim was convicted in 2015 after the court found him guilty of using employees of Nameera Engineering Private Limited – a company which Nazim has a stake in – and submitting estimates under the name of four non-existent companies to win the bid issued by former Atolls Ministry on December 31, 2003 to buy 15,000 national flags needed by the ministry.