While Adham Mohamed, 21, had earlier pleaded guilty for the murder of 59-year old taxi driver Gasim Hassan, he has denied the murder allegations pinned on him, during Tuesday’s hearing in the murder case and has withdrawn his confession.

A verdict was to be issued on Tuesday.

During the last hearing in the case last Wednesday, witness statements from the Prosecutor General’s Office and Adham’s confession were heard alongside details of Adham’s actions and how the murder was carried out, to which Adham repeatedly confessed to every detail.

While he was asked whether there was any coercion by the presiding judge Ismail Rasheed, Adham stated that he made the confession on his own free will. Following his confession, the initial sentence of 25-years was reduced to a 17-year and 6-month prison sentence.

The 21-year-old was charged with first-degree murder under the Act on Prohibiting ‎Threatening and Possession of Dangerous Weapons and Sharp ‎Objects. He confessed to the murder earlier during the preliminary stage as well, adding that he had however, never “intended to kill Gasim” but merely to “rob him”. As such, Adham claimed then that he attacked Gasim in a state of intoxication. When questioned if he was intoxicated under the influence of another party, he refuted it.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Adham was asked whether he needs to hear the charges against him, one more time. After hearing the charges against him, Adham denied the charges, despite the confession.

The suspect claimed that he was not of sound mind when the confessions were made, accusing the police of intoxicating him by providing everything; he noted that he was under police's custody during these hearings.

While he had previously been brought to hearings in regular clothes, Adham was dressed in prison clothes at Tuesday’s hearing.

He is currently under the custody of Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) after he was slapped with a jail term having been found guilty in a separate theft case.

While Adham retracted his confession and made these allegations against the police, his defence attorney asked the court for time to seek details of his treatment while under police custody.

The presiding judge claimed that the case may be sent for further investigation should state prosecutors allow it. However, state prosecutors asserted that they would like to proceed from preliminary hearings anew, which the presiding judge approved.

The presiding judge accepted state witness statements as well as Adham’s confession to the Prosecutor General’s Office, at the last hearing.

During the preliminary hearing, state prosecutors presented witnesses who carried out transactions with Adham on the day of the murder, 4 December; the taxi driver who drove Adham to Hulhulé from Hulhumalé, three individuals inside the café from which Adham acquired a knife to mug people, officers who confiscated Adham’s shirt and knife from the bushes of the crime scene, the person who provided Adham with a new shirt as well as officers who compiled reports after forensic investigations. State also presented video footage of Adham’s statement to the police.

Adham was arrested on 19 December, after Gasim’s dead body was discovered lying face-down in a puddle of blood on the road in Hulhumalé on 4 December.

Police earlier confirmed that Adham has a long criminal history including theft and cases related to drugs.

Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem had last Wednesday assured that they have enough evidence to convict him even if he retracts his confession, adding that things will only be worse for the suspect if he does so.