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Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Sodomy II: Two former aides willing to testify against Anwar

PETALING JAYA: Former aides and colleagues of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have offered themselves to be witnesses in his sodomy trial.

Senator Mohamad Ezam Nor, Anwar’s former political secretary, said he should be a witness owing to his intimate knowledge of the opposition leader.

“It is irrelevant for Anwar’s defense to call the Prime Minister and his wife,” he said yesterday.


High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah on Monday allowed Anwar’s defence team to interview 15 witnesses offered by the prosecution in his sodomy trial.

The witnesses included Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor. However, consent must first be obtained.

On May 16, Justice Mohd Zabidin ordered Anwar to enter his defence after ruling Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the complainant in this case, was a truthful and credible witness.

Anwar, 63, had pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court on Aug 7, 2008, to committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature at Desa Damansara Condominium in Bukit Damansara between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26 the same year.

Another volunteer was Rahimi Osman, Anwar’s former private secretary, who said he was a relevant witness. Rahimi was Saiful’s secondary schoolmate.

He said he was the one who introduced Saiful to be Anwar’s aide.

He added that Anwar was trying his best to damage the reputation of the judiciary.

Former PKR leader and Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong described the move by Anwar’s defence team to interview Najib and Rosmah as unheard of.

“The trial had been ongoing for almost three years and the defence should be aware who were the favourable witnesses for their case,” Wee said, adding that it was a tactic by Anwar to turn his case into a trial by media aimed at mocking the country’s judiciary.

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