The first preliminary hearing in Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed's bribery trial has been held on Tuesday at the Criminal Court.

The hearing began at 12:00 p.m where the presiding judge in the case gave both justices a period of five days to appoint lawyers to represent the charges of bribery raised against them.

Both had arrived for the hearing without legal representation.

While the state has claimed the justices had accepted bribe money to influence court rulings and other proceedings of the judiciary, Saeed is alleged to have used money he made through those who conspired to overthrow the government to pay for a luxurious apartment in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

Hameed is also accused of accepting money from former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The presiding judge over both justices' case is recently appointed Chief Judge at the Criminal Court, Ahmed Hailam who held the position of an attorney at the Prosecutor General's office prior to his appointment as a judge at the Criminal Court in January.

Both justices had at the court hearing said that they wish to proceed with the presence of a lawyer and that they require at least 10 days to appoint lawyers to which judge Hailam responded that they have been given until the 10th of June to appoint legal representation.

A total of nine individuals including the justices and Gayoom, have been charged with terrorism for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the governement. Hailam is presiding over the trials of all nine detainees.

Supreme Court justices Saeed and Hameed were arrested on the 05th of February, mere hours after incumbent President Yameen Abdul Gayoom declared a state of emergency across the nation following which a wave of arrests were made.

Both justices were sentenced under obstruction charges to one year, seven months and six days in prison which has since been reduced by the High Court after an appeal. They are now doing time for one year, two months and 12 days.

Saeed is serving a prison sentence of four months and 24 days for blocking the Supreme Court from recieving messages by ordering employees to halt the Government E-Letter Management System (GEMS).

Saeed and Hameed also face terrorism charges for the alleged coup plot and if found guilty, they stand to lose their positions in court as well as face a jail term of up to 17 years