Sodomy II: Indecent proposal
Anwar, 63, faces the charge of sodomising Mohd Saiful at the Desa Damansara condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here, at between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
Malaysian Mirror
The Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial started on a dramatic note with the complainant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, claiming that the Opposition Leader made him an indecent proposal.
The politician’s former aide, 26, testified that on the day in question, he was instructed to go to the Desa Damansara condominium at 2.30pm to discuss working arrangements with Anwar.
Mohd Saiful further claimed that when he handed some documents to the PKR advisor, Anwar asked: “Can I f*** you?”
Anwar, 63, faces the charge of sodomising Mohd Saiful at the Desa Damansara condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here, at between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
Mohd Saiful, the first to take the witness’ stand, began by talking about his education background, saying he quit his studies because he was not doing well.
He described his job responsibilities as personal assistant to the Opposition Leader, which included organising secret meetings with Barisan Nasional MPs.
To prove Anwar’s guilt
Earlier, the prosecution team said they will prove that, on the day concerned, Mohd Saiful had gone to Unit 11-5-1 on the fifth floor of the condominium.
At that time, Mohd Saiful saw Anwar sitting alone and eating. He was allegedly sodomised by Anwar at the unit. The complainant then left the place at about 4pm.
In their opening statement, the prosecution said it will prove semen stains taken from the complainant’s anus belonged to Anwar.
The prosecution also said they will prove the case with direct evidence from Mohd Saiful and forensic testimony from doctors and chemists.
Apart from these, circumstantial and documentary evidence will also be tendered, the prosecution says.
Solicitor-General II Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abiden (pic) said that Mohd Saiful had gone for a medical examination at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on June 28, 2008 over the sodomy incident.
He said Mohd Saiful’s tissue samples had been taken by the doctor who examined him for DNA testing.
Mohamed Yusof added that the complainant had lodged a police report on the same day over the sodomy incident that had allegedly ocurred at the Desa Damansara Condominium on June 26, 2008.
Persuading Court of Appeal president
At the outset of the proceedings, Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh told High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah that he will meet Court of Appeal president Alauddin Mohd Sheriff on Thursday.
The meeting is to persuade Alauddin to set up a hearing date for Anwar’s appeal at the Court of Appeal over his failure to strike out the sodomy charge.
Karpal says he has just been served with the record of appeal over the earlier High Court ruling on the striking out application, and is therefore going to file a petition of appeal so that the appeal can be heard.
“Anwar is within court premises in the process of getting the affidavit ready to file the appeal,” Karpal says.
Before he entered the courtroom at about 3.25pm, Anwar filed a petition against a Dec 1 High Court decision to dismiss his application to strike out the sodomy charge against him.
He did it after receiving appeals record at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya in the morning.
When the charge was read to him at about 3.40pm, Anwar retorted that the charge is “malicious in intent.”
Lembah Pantai MP and Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was seen at the courts earlier. left at about 4.30pm.
Heavy police presence
PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Ismail clutches her husband’s arm as they smiled their way through the courtroom on Tuesday
Ahead of the trial, hoardes of policemen and general operations force people had begun to be deployed outside the KL courts complex in Jalan Duta
The GOF men formed a line from the top of the stairs leading to the court lobby, to prevent visitors with video cameras from entering.
Defence counsel Karpal Singh and Ram Karpal arrived at the court at about 1.30pm. About 45 minutes later, fellow defence lawyers Param Cumaraswamy and Sankara Nair arrived.
About five minutes before the proceedings were due to start, Anwar and DAP stalward Lim Kit Siang arrived. Shouts of ‘reformasi’ greeted them.
Minutes earlier, PKR strategic director Tian Chua tried to enter the court carrying a folded banner .With him was Kampung Hj Abdullah Hukum PKR chief Roslan Mat and two supporters.
Tian was stopped by the police and Special Branch officers although he tried to argue his way out by saying there is no legal reason for the police to stop him from carrying a banner.
Subang MP R Sivarasa, who joined him soon after, also tried to convince the police to allow Tian to carry the banner into the courtroom. The law enforcers stood their ground.
Tian and Gerak Malaysia chief Nazri Yunus led the crowd, albeit a smaller one than was seen on Tuesday, into chanting ‘reformasi’ and other slogans. Outside the court several people carried banners and placards in supprt of Anwar.
The Najib-and-Rosmah factor
While the proceedings were going on, more than 20 PKR supporters outside the court protested against the trial. Two of them were seen wearing masks resembling Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.
On the sidelines of the court proceedings on Tuesday, Anwar had told the media that he intends to get his lawyers to subpoena Najib and Rosmah as witnesses in his sodomy trial.
Anwar said the presence of the PM and his wife was crucial, claiming he has evidence that Saiful had met them both days before lodging a police report against him.
The court adjourned to 9.30am Thursday. Proceedings will be in-camera due to sensitivity of the testimony.
