Najib, Rosmah to set aside subpoenas over Anwar’s sodomy trial

(Bernama) — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, are applying to set aside subpoenas asking them to be defence witnesses in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s ongoing sodomy trial.

Their lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said he would file the application today at the High Court.

On Aug 8, High Court Judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah who presided over the trial, had granted Anwar’s application to interview witnesses offered by the prosecution, including Najib and Rosmah.

At the close of its case, the prosecution offered 71 witnesses, including Najib and Rosmah to be defence witnesses.

In the first sodomy case in 1998, then prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad (now Tun) who was subpoenaed, had applied to set it aside and the court granted his application.

On May 16, Justice Mohamad Zabidin ordered Anwar to enter his defence after ruling that the latter’s former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the complainant in the case, was a truthful and credible witness.

Anwar, 64, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court on Aug 7, 2008, to committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature at the Desa Damansara Condominium in Bukit Damansara between 3.10 pm and 4.30 pm on June 26 of the same year.