Tue, 7 Oct 2008
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has cried foul over a government bid to move his sodomy trial from a lower court to the High Court, saying he fears he will end up facing a biased judge.
Anwar has been charged with sodomizing a 23-year-old former male aide, and faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted. Anwar, who led the opposition to spectacular electoral gains this year and sees himself as the next prime minister, has dismissed the allegation as a political plot by the government.
Before a date could be set for Anwar's trial to begin in a district court, Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail, the top judicial official in the country, ordered it to be transferred to the High Court.
"I am concerned over the issue of fair trial," Anwar told reporters during a break in a hearing before district court Judge Komathy Suppiah to decide if the case should stay with her or be transferred to the High Court.
"I find it difficult to understand why the AG (Attorney General) is so desperate, fighting tooth and nail, to go to the High Court. That has raised a lot of suspicion" that the government would pick a biased judge, he said.
Defence lawyers says Abdul Gani should keep out of the case because of his alleged involvement in a previous sodomy accusation against Anwar, in 1998. Anwar has accused Abdul Gani and national police chief Musa Hassan of fabricating evidence against him in that case.
Anwar's lawyer said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had assured the nation that Abdul Gani would not be involved in the latest case.
"The AG should play no part, and he should not be deciding this," Anwar's lawyer, Sulaiman Abdullah, told the court. Abdul Gani's order "is not valid because it is signed by somebody who has been disqualified," he said.
In the 1998 case, Anwar was convicted of sodomizing his family driver, as well as corruption. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the crimes, which he has consistently denied committing. He was freed in 2004 after Malaysia's highest court overturned the sodomy conviction.
The latest sodomy allegation surfaced in June, about four months after Anwar's three-party alliance won an unprecedented 82 seats in the 222-member Parliament, up from 19 before. He is now threatening to bring down the government with parliamentary defections from the ruling party.
Prosecutor Yusof Zainal Abiden urged Judge Komathy to "follow the procedure" and order the case to be moved to the High Court.
She is expected to decide on the issue later Tuesday.
Peralihan kuasa dalam UMNO: Anwar tetap mahu jadi PM
07/10/2008 3:14pm
KUALA LUMPUR 7 Okt. - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, rancangannya untuk mengambil alih kerajaan akan tetap dilaksanakan tanpa mengira keputusan sama ada Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi melepaskan jawatan Presiden UMNO ataupun tidak.
Ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh itu berkata, ini kerana rancangan itu bukan bersifat peribadi terhadap Abdullah ataupun timbalannya, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
- Utusan