Maldives Police Service on Tuesday denied accusations that they drugged Adhuham Mohamed, the alleged murderer of taxi driver Gasim Hassan, to coerce a confession.
Adhuham accused Police of drugging him prior to court hearings, adding that he was unaware of the statements he had made in court while he was intoxicated.
Tuesday's hearing at the Criminal Court was held to deliver Adhuham's sentence following his earlier confession to the crime. However, the defendant pleaded not guilty when Judge Ismail Rasheed questioned him during the latest hearing. He rejected the charges claiming that he did not murder the taxi driver.
"I am now declaring in a sober state that it [the murder] is not a crime I committed", said Adhuham.
Although he denied the charges, Police noted that they have collected sufficient evidence to prove Adhuham's guilt. Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem also shared Police's sentiments.
Adhuham, who also confessed to the crime during the police investigation, requested forgiveness from Qasim's family when he formerly admitted to murdering the taxi driver in court, stating that he was in a state of inebriation at the time of the incident and that he experienced remorse afterwards.
The 59-year-old taxi driver was fatally stabbed in the reclaimed suburb of Hulhumale' on December 4, 2019. He was pronounced dead at 21:50 hrs in Hulhumale' Hospital.
The Prosecutor General's Office charged Adhuham with the murder under the Act Prohibiting Intimidation and Possession of Dangerous Weapons and Sharp Objects on February 9.
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