KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial will start tomorrow after he failed in his last-ditch attempt to delay proceedings this afternoon.
But the defence and prosecution started a verbal joust today on an issue which is likely to be the cornerstone of the trial — whether there was penetration.
High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled this afternoon that he would not postpone the trial and ordered the case to proceed at 2.30pm tomorrow.
Earlier, Anwar’s defence team tried in vain to argue for a stay of proceedings, after winning an appointment with the Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff tomorrow to fix a date to review the Federal Court’s decision on their application to seek more evidence.
Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair said Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi was not in office today but has directed Allaudin to meet the team tomorrow in Putrajaya.
This morning, the High Court agreed to adjourn Anwar’s sodomy trial to allow his lawyers to get a date to review a Federal Court ruling that upheld earlier decisions to disallow him from obtaining additional evidence for his case.
Anwar is accused of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 26, 2008 at a posh condominium in the exclusive Bukit Damansara suburb in Kuala Lumpur. He has denied the charge, saying it’s a conspiracy similar to his first charge in 1998.
The 63-year-old Opposition Leader was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, that was held by his wife, in a by-election in 2008. He had earlier led the opposition Pakatan Rakyat to a historic sweep of four states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.
But he was then mired with the accusation from 24-year-old Saiful, whom Anwar dismissively said was just a “coffee boy”.
The case has been delayed as Anwar’s lawyers tried unsuccessfully to obtain evidence they said was necessary for his defence.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers said they have given all relevant documents and evidence as required by law but Anwar lawyer Sankara Nair, who defended Anwar for his first sodomy charge in 1998, said it was “abuse of due process”.
His legal team is led by noted lawyer Raja Aziz Addruse, who also led the team in 1998, and Karpal who is also national chairman of the DAP, an ally in Anwar’s Pakatan Rakyat coalition that also includes PAS.
Related Articles :
- Anwar charms international opinion ahead of trial
- Anwar to subpoena Najib, Rosmah
- Warga emas kecoh kerana tidak dapat ikuti kes Anwar
- What’s at stake in trial of Malaysia’s Anwar?
But the defence and prosecution started a verbal joust today on an issue which is likely to be the cornerstone of the trial — whether there was penetration.
High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled this afternoon that he would not postpone the trial and ordered the case to proceed at 2.30pm tomorrow.
Earlier, Anwar’s defence team tried in vain to argue for a stay of proceedings, after winning an appointment with the Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff tomorrow to fix a date to review the Federal Court’s decision on their application to seek more evidence.
Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair said Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi was not in office today but has directed Allaudin to meet the team tomorrow in Putrajaya.
This morning, the High Court agreed to adjourn Anwar’s sodomy trial to allow his lawyers to get a date to review a Federal Court ruling that upheld earlier decisions to disallow him from obtaining additional evidence for his case.
Anwar is accused of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 26, 2008 at a posh condominium in the exclusive Bukit Damansara suburb in Kuala Lumpur. He has denied the charge, saying it’s a conspiracy similar to his first charge in 1998.
The 63-year-old Opposition Leader was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, that was held by his wife, in a by-election in 2008. He had earlier led the opposition Pakatan Rakyat to a historic sweep of four states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.
But he was then mired with the accusation from 24-year-old Saiful, whom Anwar dismissively said was just a “coffee boy”.
The case has been delayed as Anwar’s lawyers tried unsuccessfully to obtain evidence they said was necessary for his defence.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers said they have given all relevant documents and evidence as required by law but Anwar lawyer Sankara Nair, who defended Anwar for his first sodomy charge in 1998, said it was “abuse of due process”.
His legal team is led by noted lawyer Raja Aziz Addruse, who also led the team in 1998, and Karpal who is also national chairman of the DAP, an ally in Anwar’s Pakatan Rakyat coalition that also includes PAS.
Related Articles :
- Anwar charms international opinion ahead of trial
- Anwar to subpoena Najib, Rosmah
- Warga emas kecoh kerana tidak dapat ikuti kes Anwar
- What’s at stake in trial of Malaysia’s Anwar?
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