‘Rough sex very unlikely for Anwar’
Dutch expert Dr Thomas Hoogland says it is very unlikely for the opposition leader, who has a back problem, to indulge in the type of sexual act described by the complainant.
(Free Malaysia Today) – It is unlikely for Anwar Ibrahim to indulge in rough and vigorous sex as described by complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, according to the opposition leader’s spinal surgeon Dr Thomas Hoogland.
Testifying at the Sodomy II trial today, the Dutch orthopedic doctor said that a back and forth movement done repeatedly would have caused “significant pain in Anwar’s back”.
Asked by Anwar’s defence lawyer Sankara Nair how he came to such conclusions, Hoogland said that as a spine expert it was his opinion based on examinations of Anwar and findings of MRI scans.
“For Anwar to really vigorously use his back… I think when we consider the sexual act, it is very, very unlikely that it is possible; based on examination of Anwar and findings of MRI, it is not possible for a man his age (to have performed the alleged act),” he told the High Court here.
When asked, Hoogland agreed that it would also be painful for Anwar to kneel on a carpeted floor.
Hoogland had performed surgery on Anwar’s back in 2004 in Munich, Germany. He also recently re-examined Anwar last month on Sept 8 and testified yesterday that it would have been painful for Anwar to bend his body for even 10 degrees, or to partake in “vigorous activities”.
Hoogland had said yesterday that even after surgery, which improved Anwar’s walking abilities, the latter still suffered from arthritis in his facet joints, limited movement as well as nerve roots damage caused by a police assault in 1998.
The then inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor was charged with assaulting Anwar in the infamous “black-eye incident” which resulted in the latter falling and hurting his back.
Hoogland said Anwar’s 1998 injuries were “significant” and “traumatic” and described them as the
beginning of all of Anwar’s back problems as they were not caused by degenerative age reasons.
CCTV footage shown
During cross-examination by lead prosecutor Solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, Hoogland was shown a CCTV footage depicting what appeared to be Anwar in a lift.
Yusof pointed out that in the video, dated June 26, 2008, Anwar could be seen bending over several times while easily putting down and picking up his briefcase when he was in the lift.
Quizzed on this, Hoogland said he could not really comment on the recording as some parts of the video playback was faster than normal and he could not ascertain how quickly Anwar was bending.
“The video is speeding faster than normal. Some parts are real speed. People don’t walk so fast,” complained Hoogland, who said that he could not see if Anwar was bending all the way or just picking up his briefcase.
He also said that he could not see the expression of Anwar to determine if he was in pain or not.
“He is like Anwar (in the video) and he is able to bend. I never said he cannot bend in my medical report. Only that there is pain while bending and he has to do this motion slowly. Here we can’t see if he is in pain,” added the doctor.
Hoogland had earlier said that it would be “very painful” for Anwar to bend his back and to pick up something, noting that he would need to bend at the knees. However, he admitted that it was possible to bend slowly.
Could he be pretending?
Yusof had earlier asked Hoogland if a person could easily bend and pick up a pen, without displaying any pain or hampered movements, what would his conclusion be.
Hoogland, however, said that such an observation was not a usual functional test for doctors.
Yusof: How about we regard this as a new test?
Hoogland: Well I will suggest to my colleagues from now on and perhaps call it the ‘Kuala Lumpur Test’.
