Anwar’s tribulations for show of proof in second sex case
By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider
His trial proper has yet to start but Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today complained he is being unjustly persecuted by a prejudiced prosecution handpicked by the bane of his life, the Attorney General.
The High Court here yesterday ordered Anwar’s defence team to make their case on why the prosecution should be directed to hand over extra material it claims will not be used in the upcoming Sodomy II trial.
Subang member of parliament and lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah had earlier failed to convince the judge to postpone today’s scheduled hearing —delayed twice last week after lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah was hospitalised — to allow Anwar to choose a replacement.
Judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah rejected Sivarasa’s arguments that the defence lawyers were too “junior” to present the case properly in Sulaiman’s stead.
“I’m confident there will be no injustice,” Zabidin said and pointed out that the submissions had also been written down and were ready to be read in open court.
Bereft of their veteran counsel, Anwar’s lawyers Edmund Bon and Amer Hamzah Arshad formed a tag team to argue their case that the prosecution, led by Solicitor General II Datuk Yusof Zainal Abiden, was purposely hiding key evidence that favours their client — who is facing his second sodomy charge in a decade.
