Sodomy II: ‘Anwar’s statement a bare denial’
It does not dispute the evidence stacked against the opposition leader, says the lead prosecutor.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Anwar Ibrahim’s unsworn statement from the dock is a “bare denial” that does not dispute evidence stacked against him, said the prosecution at the Opposition Leader’s Sodomy II trial today.
Lead prosecutor Solicitor-General II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden said the court must bear in mind why Anwar was reluctant to be cross-examined when it decides on what weight to give the statement Anwar made at the start of his defence.
“This is a bare denial saying ‘I didn’t do it’. This doesn’t dispute the evidence that Anwar had asked complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan to go to his condo… doesn’t dispute that the chief-of-staff asked Saiful to go… doesn’t challenge the CCTV recordings,” Yusof told the court when making the prosecution’s closing submissions today.
“It is our submission that you fail to dispute all these facts… that it amounts to an admission; it must be accorded as corroborative evidence against him,” he said.
Yusof also dismissed the defence team’s contention that the entire trial was a political conspiracy to send Anwar into oblivion.
“You talk about conspiracy. What conspiracy? Nobody, not Saiful or (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) could force Anwar to do it. If there’s a conspiracy, then Anwar must be a willing participant to it,” said Yusof.
