DAY 5 – 1 APRIL 2003 (Part 3) (UPDATED with BM Translation)
“The prosecution refused to send Azizan for a medical examination to establish he had indeed been sodomised though it had declared that it was still not too late and there was still time to do so.”
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Azizan’s testimony was never corroborated
Anwar Ibrahim and his Indonesian-born adopted brother, Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja, were convicted of a sexual crime, in this case sodomy, purely on the sole testimony of the alleged victim, Azizan Abu Bakar.
“In a case of a sexual offence, corroboration is required,” Gobind Singh Deo, Anwar’s counsel, told the Kuala Lumpur Appeal Court on the fifth day of the appeal hearing.
“A double test needs to be done. The reliability of the witness needs to be established plus his testimony needs to be corroborated.”
“If, however, the witness is proven to be unreliable, then it ends there. The testimony of the witness must be rejected and no further corroboration is required.”
The court was told, in convicting Anwar and Sukma, no other evidence was offered or medical examination done to support Azizan’s allegation.
“The prosecution refused to send Azizan for a medical examination to establish he had indeed been sodomised though it had declared that it was still not too late and there was still time to do so.”
Instead, the accused, Sukma, was sent for a medical examination and the doctor testified in court that he did not find any evidence he (Sukma) had been sodomised. (Sukma was earlier jailed six months on allegations he had allowed Anwar to sodomise him).
Gobind then told the Appeal Court that the trial judge, in his written judgment, had left out much of what had transpired in court. Gobind then handed the three-man panel of judges a copy of a newspaper report that had quoted verbatim what transpired in the trial.
All this was excluded in the trial judge’s written judgment, said Gobind.
Gobind then asked the Appeal Court to acquit both Anwar and Sukma as there was “more than enough material before your Lordships to allow the appeal.”
Translated into BM by Jason:
HARI 5 – 1 April 2003 (Bahagian 3)
“Pendakwa enggan menghantar Azizan bagi menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan bagi mengesahkan bahawa dia memang telah diliwat, walaupun mahkamah menyatakan bahawa masih belum terlambat dan masih ada waktu bagi berbuat demikian.”
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Keterangan Azizan tidak pernah disokong (bukti tambahan)
Anwar Ibrahim dan adik angkatnya dari Indonesia, Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja disabitkan atas jenayah seksual, iaitu liwat dengan hanya berasaskan keterangan pengadu, Azizan Abu Bakar.
“Bagi jenayah seksual, bukti sokongan diperlukan,” kata peguam Anwar, Gobind Singh Deo kepada Mahkamah Rayuan Kuala Lumpur pada hari kelima perbicaraan rayuan itu.
“Ujian berganda perlu dilakukan. Kebolehpercayaan saksi perlu dipastikan dan keterangannya perlu disokong bukti tambahan.”
“Tetapi jika ternyata saksi itu tidak boleh dipercayai, maka kes itu perlu dibuang. Keterangan si saksi perlu ditolak dan tiada bukti sokongan yang diperlukan.”
Mahkamah diberitahu bahawa dalam usaha menyabitkan Anwar dan Sukma, tiada bukti lain yang dikemukakan dan pemeriksaan kesihatan tidak dilakukan bagi mengesahkan dakwaan Azizan.
“Pendakwa enggan menghantar Azizan bagi menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan bagi mengesahkan bahawa dia memang telah diliwat, walaupun mahkamah menyatakan bahawa masih belum terlambat dan masih ada waktu bagi berbuat demikian.”
Sebaliknya, tertuduh pula, iaitu Sukma dihantar bagi menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan dan doktor memberitahu mahkamah bahawa dia tidak menemukan sebarang bukti bahawa dia (Sukma) diliwat (Sebelum itu, Sukma dipenjarakan selama enam bulan atas dakwaan bahawa dia membenarkan Anwar meliwatnya).
Gobind kemudiannya memberitahu Mahkamah Rayuan bahawa dalam penghakiman bertulisnya, hakim perbicaraan tidak memasukkan banyak perkara yang berlaku sepanjang perbicaraan. Gobind kemudiannya menyerahkan sesalinan laporan sebuah akhbar yang memetik kata demi kata (verbatim) perbicaraan itu kepada panel tiga hakim yang mendengar rayuan Anwar.
Semua ini tidak dimasukkan dalam penghakiman bertulis hakim perbicaraan, kata Gobind.
Gobind kemudiannya meminta Mahkamah Rayuan bagi membebaskan kedua-dua Anwar dan Sukma kerana terdapat “lebih daripada cukup bahan bagi Yang Arif membenarkan rayuan ini.”
