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Accused in Obaida's murder case retracts his earlier confession

Dubai - During the hearing, the 48-year-old Jordanian defendant retracted his earlier confession and denied the charges.

The court bench, looking into the case in which a man is accused of kidnapping and killing an eight-year-old Jordanian boy, Obaida, after sexually assaulting him, ruled on Monday that it would hand down a verdict on August 15.
During the hearing, the 48-year-old Jordanian defendant retracted his earlier confession and denied the charges.
He claimed before the Court of First Instance that he was not in Al Mamzar where he is accused of taking the victim to when the incident took place on May 20.
"There are surveillance cameras there that would show that my car was not parked there," he claimed.
The defendant denied that he had given a confession to the police officers or led them to the crime scene. He claimed instead that they took him there and asked him whether he could remember anything being in that place.
Also read: Obaida died 'like a man', says grieving mother
The accused claimed before the court bench that he suffered from mental and psychological problems and held a medical file at a hospital in his home country. He requested to be referred to a medical committee of experts here to prove that.
Requesting the court to allow him to contact his country embassy, he told the court that he does not recall anything and is not aware of what happened on the day of the incident.
His defence lawyer requested that his client be examined by a medical specialized committed to determine his state of mind when he allegedly committed the crime. He concluded by pleading for the court to exert all possible extenuating reasons for leniency.
The lawyer requested that the charge of murder and kidnap be modified to assault resulting in death. He argued on the grounds that his client did not have criminal intentions.
During the previous hearing, the public prosecution called the court to inflict the death penalty on the accused.
"What mercy or leniency is he asking for given the horrendous way he committed his crime? He is a monster and does not deserve to live in our safe society. He deprived the victim's family of their son. His crime made other families feel worried over their little ones' safety," chief prosecutor Dr Ali Al Housani, told the bench of judges.
The prosecution pointed out that the charges levelled against the accused are solid and were proved based on his confession, testimonies of witnesses and technical evidence.
The charges levelled against him include premeditated murder, kidnap, physical assault, making criminal threats, consuming of alcohol without licence and drink driving.
He earlier denied the kidnap charge only. Obaida was reported missing from outside his father's car workshop in Sharjah on May 20. His body was found after two days under a tree on the Academic City Road in Al Warqa.
mary@khaleejtimes.com