DAY 6 – 7 APRIL 2003 (Part 2) (UPDATED with BM Translation)

ARCHIVES 2010

By MT Webmaster On Feb 21, 2010

In fact, argued the AG, since Azizan kept changing his story so many times and was very inconsistent, this proves he was telling the truth. If there was any attempt to fabricate charges against Anwar and Sukma, then there would not be any inconsistencies at all.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Amendments to the charges were Bona Fide

The Attorney-General denied that the amendments to the charges against Anwar Ibrahim and his adopted brother, Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja, were Mala Fide as alleged by the Defence.

The original charge was that Anwar and Sukma had sodomised Azizan in May 1994. This was the charge drawn up on 29 September 1998.

Azizan then testified during the trial that he was sodomised from early 1992 to May 1992. So, on 27 April 1999, the charge was amended to May 1992.

Then, the defence filed a Notice of Alibi to prove that, in May 1992, the Tivoli Villa, the place of the alleged crime, was not ready yet. So, for the second time, the charge was amended, and this time to ‘one day at 7.45pm between 1 January 1993 and 31 March 1993’.

To this the AG replied that the first ‘mistake’ was a typographical error. The charge should actually have read ‘May 1992’ instead of ‘May 1994’. Then, when the defence filed their Notice of Alibi, and it was discovered that the Tivoli Villa was not completed yet, the Investigation Officer, SAC1 Musa Hassan, ‘re-interrogated’ Azizan and asked him to “remember correctly the date of the incident.”

And that was when Azizan, after ‘correctly remembering’, came out with the ‘correct date’ all on his own, without coerce or coaching from the police. The ‘correct date’ was entirely Azizan’s own initiative, explained the AG, and was not a date suggested by the police.

And that was when the charges against Anwar and Sukma were amended and were in no way fabricated or trumped-up charges.

In short, because Azizan appears to be lying, then this is every reason to believe he is telling the truth, for a real liar would not change his story so many times. If Azizan’s story had been too perfect and without any flaws, added the AG, then this would be a strong reason to be suspicious.

Anyhow, added the AG, dates are important only in specific cases. In the case of Anwar’s and Sukma’s sodomy trial, dates are not that crucial.

“From time immemorial, dates have never been important in an indictment,” said the AG.

Azizan, because he was a good Muslim, exposed Anwar’s ‘crime’

Azizan said he had exposed Anwar’s sexual misconduct because he (Azizan) was a good Muslim. Subsequently, during the course of the trial, Azizan got arrested and convicted for close proximity, a crime no ‘good Muslim’ would commit.

The Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in an interview, said the only reason Azizan was arrested was because the opposition was following him in an attempt to catch him doing something wrong.

Yes, that was why Azizan was arrested and sentenced to six months jail – because the opposition was trailing him to catch him with his pants down, not because he had committed a crime.

The defence then requested that Azizan be recalled as a witness so that his credibility as a ‘good Muslim’ can be reassessed. But the trial judge disallowed it.

“Azizan’s moral character has no relevance to the issue,” argued the AG.

“Just because Azizan was convicted for close proximity in a Syariah Court does not mean he is not of credible character. There is no reason to reject his evidence.”

“Azizan’s immoral character has no significance to the fact in issues in the charges against both the accused. The conviction in the Syariah Court does not affect his credibility.”

The IO Musa Hassan read medical books to come to his decision

On the point raised by the defence that they had asked for Azizan to be sent for a medical examination to determine whether he had indeed been sodomised, but that the prosecution had refused to do so, the AG had this to reply:

“The Investigation Officer, SAC1 Musa Hassan, had applied his past experience and relied on medical books when he decided not to send Azizan for a medical examination.”

“The trial judge considered this issue in relation to the issue of penetration and he held that medical examination was not the only method to prove penetration.”

So the policeman read a medical journal and played doctor while the judge ruled that the testimony of an inconsistent witness was better than a doctor’s expert testimony.

Translated into BM by Jason:

HARI 6 – 7 APRIL 2003 (Bahagian 2)

Malah Peguam Negara berpendapat bahawa disebabkan Azizan sentiasa mengubah keterangannya dan sangat tidak konsisten, maka itu membuktikan bahawa dia bercakap benar. Menurut Peguam Negara, jika terdapat sebarang usaha bagi mereka-reka tuduhan terhadap Anwar dan Sukma, maka sudah tentu keterangannya (Azizan) konsisten sepanjang masa.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Pindaan dalam pertuduhan adalah Bona Fide

Peguam Negara menafikan dakwaan Pembelaan bahawa pindaan dalam pertuduhan terhadap Anwar Ibrahim dan adik angkatnya, Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja bersifat Mala Fide.

Pertuduhan asal menyatakan bahawa Anwar dan Sukma telah meliwat Azizan pada Mei 1994. Pertuduhan ini disusun pada 29 September 1998.

Azizan kemudiannya memberi keterangan semasa perbicaraan bahawa dia diliwat dari awal 1992 hingga Mac 1992. Jadi, pada 27 April 1999, tarikh dalam pertuduhan diubah kepada Mei 1992.

Selepas itu, Pembelaan mengemukakan Notis Alibi bagi membuktikan bahawa Tivoli Villa, iaitu tempat yang dikatakan tempat kejadian belum pun siap pada Mei 1992. Jadi, untuk kedua kalinya, tarikh dalam pertuduhan dipinda, yakni kepada ‘satu hari pada 7:45 malam antara 1 Januari 1993 dan 31 Mac 1993’.

Bagi menjawab persoalan ini, Peguam Negara berkata bahawa ‘kesalahan’ pertama adalah kesalahan tipografi. Menurutnya, tarikh yang sepatutnya dinyatakan dalam pertuduhan adalah ‘Mei 1992’ dan bukannya ‘Mei 1994’. Lalu, apabila Pembelaan mengajukan Notis Alibi dan didapati bahawa Tivoli Villa belum pun siap pada tarikh itu, maka Pegawai Penyiasat, SAC1 Musa Hassan ‘menyoal siasat semula’ Azizan dan memintanya untuk “mengingati tarikh kejadian dengan betul”.

Ketika itulah Azizan, iaitu selepas ‘mengingati dengan betul’ dapat menyatakan ‘tarikh sebenar’ tanpa tekanan ataupun tunjuk ajar daripada polis. Peguam Negara menjelaskan bahawa ‘tarikh sebenar’ itu datangnya daripada Azizan dan bukannya dicadangkan oleh polis.

Pada ketika itulah tuduhan terhadap Anwar dan Sukma dipinda dan tidak langsung melibatkan pemalsuan.

Ringkasnya, disebabkan Azizan kedengaran seperti berbohong, maka itu menunjukkan bahawa dia bercakap benar. Ini kerana orang yang berbohong tidak akan mengubah keterangannya berulang kali. Kata Peguam Negara lagi, jika keterangan Azizan terlalu sempurna dan tidak mempunyai sebarang kecacatan, maka itu adalah alasan yang kukuh untuk mencurigainya.

Lagi pula, tambah Peguam Negara, tarikh hanya penting dalam kes-kes yang spesifik. Menurutnya, dalam kes liwat Anwar dan Sukma, tarikh tidak begitu penting.

“Sejak zaman-berzaman, tarikh tidak penting dalam pendakwaan,” kata Peguam Negara.

Azizan mendedahkan ‘jenayah’ Anwar kerana dia adalah seorang Muslim yang baik

Azizan berkata bahawa dia mendedahkan salah laku seksual Anwar kerana dia (Azizan) adalah seorang Muslim yang baik. Selanjutnya, semasa perbicaraan masih berjalan, Azizan ditangkap dan disabitkan atas kesalahan berkhalwat, iaitu jenayah yang takkan dilakukan oleh ‘seorang Muslim yang baik’.

Dalam satu wawancara, Perdana Menteri, Dr Mahathir Mohamad mendakwa bahawa Azizan ditangkap kerana pembangkang mengekorinya dalam usaha menjeratnya semasa dia melakukan sebarang kesalahan.

Ya, itulah sebabnya Azizan ditangkap dan dijatuhi hukuman enam bulan penjara – kerana pembangkang mengekorinya bagi menjeratnya, dan bukan kerana dia memang telah melakukan jenayah.

Pembelaan kemudiannya meminta agar Azizan dipanggil semula sebagai saksi agar kredibilitinya sebagai seorang “Muslim yang baik’ dapat dinilai semula. Tapi hakim perbicaraan tidak membenarkannya.

“Perwatakan moral Azizan tidak mempunyai kaitan dengan isu ini,” Peguam Negara berhujah.

“Hanya disebabkan Azizan disabitkan atas jenayah khalwat di Mahkamah Syariah tidak bermakna dia bukan individu yang boleh dipercayai. Tiada sebab bagi keterangan-keterangannya ditolak.”

“Perilaku tidak bermoral Azizan tidak mempunyai kaitan dengan fakta dalam isu-isu dalam dakwaan terhadap kedua-dua tertuduh. Sabitan di Mahkamah Syariah tidak menjejaskan kredibilitinya.”

Pegawai Penyiasat Musa Hassan membuat keputusan selepas membaca buku-buku perubatan

Berkenaan dengan isu yang ditimbulkan oleh Pembelaan bahawa mereka memohon supaya Azizan menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan bagi menentukan sama ada dia diliwat ataupun tidak, yang mana permohonan itu ditolak oleh Pendakwa, Peguam Negara menjawab:

“Pegawai Penyiasat, SAC1 Musa Hassan menggunakan pengalamannya dan bergantung pada buku-buku perubatan apabila dia memutuskan untuk tidak menghantar Azizan bagi menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan.”

“Hakim perbicaraan menimbangkan isu ini dalam konteks penembusan, dan dia berpendapat bahawa pemeriksaan kesihatan bukanlah satu-satunya kaedah untuk membuktikan bahawa penembusan berlaku.”

Jadi, polis terbabit membaca jurnal perubatan dan memainkan peranan sebagai doktor, sementara Hakim memutuskan bahawa keterangan seorang saksi yang tidak konsisten adalah lebih baik daripada keterangan pakar seorang doktor.