A-G alone must decide on appeal, says Anwar

(The Star) – PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has acknowledged that it is up to the Attorney-General’s Chambers whether it wants to appeal against his acquittal from a sodomy charge.

Saying that it was within the right of the A-G’s Chambers, he said if the prosecution decided to do so, there should not be any “political interference” in the appeal.

“It is up to the A-G to make a decision based on the law and facts.

“But there should not be any political interference beyond the law,” he said after performing Friday prayers at the Kampung Baru mosque here yesterday.

His remarks were quoted on several online news portals and blogs.

Anwar had just returned from a visit to India and Turkey. He will be in Alor Setar for the one-day Pakatan Rakyat convention today.

The former deputy prime minister was acquitted by the High Court on a charge of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan due to a lack of corroborative evidence.

The prosecution is given 14 days from Monday to decide if it intends to appeal.

Lead prosecutor Solicitor-General II Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden had said on TV3’s Nightline that it would recommend to the A-G to appeal against the High Court’s decision.