Anwar: Prosecution bid to enhance sentence is ‘sickening’
(Malay Mail Online) – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today that it is “sickening” that the prosecution wants his five-year jail sentence extended, especially after the arguments presented by his lawyers to prove that his conviction was flawed.
The Opposition Leader told reporters at the Federal Court lobby this afternoon that he is convinced now that the apex court has no choice but to reverse his conviction and acquit him of sodomy.
“I am very convinced that any courts in the world which upholds justice will not make such a ruling.
“Based on facts I see no other option except to acquit me from these frivolous charges,” he said.
“They claim want to enhance (my) sentence. To me, it is sickening after listening to passionate arguments,” Anwar added, referring to the prosecution team.
The Federal Court hearing for Anwar’s Sodomy II appeal was adjourned this afternoon after government lawyer Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah asked the court for more time to look at the defence’s submissions.
Shafee told the five-man panel of judges that he was up till 4am this morning reading Anwar’s lawyers’ submissions, and complained that Ramkarpal Singh’s submissions had used very small fonts.
Court was then adjourned to tomorrow. The respondent is expected to take all of tomorrow to reply, while the appellant is slated to reply next Monday.
Ramkarpal was the fourth lawyer in Anwar’s defence team to submit in court.
Anwar was held overnight from July 16 to 17, from 11.05pm to 12.30pm, in 2008, after being arrested for allegedly sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Samples taken from the toothbrush, mineral water bottle and “good morning” towel that were given to Anwar during his jail stint were later used to match the DNA samples taken from Saiful.
During trial in 2011, government chemist Nor Aidora had testified that there were two DNA profiles found on the evidence samples – that of “Male Y” and that of an unknown DNA profile.
The chemist had also testified that the DNA profiles found on the items match those whose sperm extracts had been found on Saiful’s anus earlier.
Today was the third day of Anwar’s challenge of the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn a lower court’s decision to acquit him of the charge.
The High Court had in 2012 acquitted Anwar of the 2008 charge but the appellate court ruled on March 7 this year that the trial judge had erred when rejecting the DNA evidence produced in the case.
Anwar has repeatedly maintained his innocence, insisting that the charges were trumped up to kill his political career as he allegedly poses a threat to the Barisan Nasional coalition’s decades-long rule with the Pakatan Rakyat alliance, which he now leads.
If Anwar fails to reverse his five-year imprisonment sentence and conviction in the Federal Court, he would lose his seat as the law bars anyone fined RM2,000 or imprisoned for one year from serving as a lawmaker.
Today’s hearing was presided over by a five-member panel led by Chief Justice Tun Ariffin Zakaria. Others include Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif and Federal Court judges Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Embong, Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar and Datuk Ramly Ali, who replaced Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop.
Anwar is represented by a 14-man defence team led by former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram. Others include lawyers R. Sivarasa, Latheefa Koya, N. Surendran and Gobind Singh Deo.
Lawyers from the prosecution team are Shafee and Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria.
