Police: Don't listen to rumours

• Abdullah: I didn't order police to charge him
• Saiful: I want truth told
• I will turn up, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be charged with sodomy today, more than a month after a police report was lodged against him by his former aide.

He was informed of the court action against him by Brickfields Criminal Investigation Department chief Deputy Superintendent Jude Pereira.

The police officer served the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader with a notice about noon yesterday.

Pereira and a sergeant went into Anwar's bungalow and came out 20 minutes later.

Moments later, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, in a faxed statement, said a notice was served on Anwar.

"Police have completed the sodomy investigation in accordance with the country's laws.

"The investigation paper was forwarded to the Attorney-General's Chambers and a decision was made to charge Anwar."

Anwar was told to present himself at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex today at 10am.

Speaking to the New Straits Times later, Ismail urged city folk to go about their business as usual today.

He said there would be added police presence in various parts of the city but no roads would be closed. "We urge the public not to listen to rumours. The added police presence is simply to thwart any untoward incidents."

Anwar's former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 23, had lodged a report in June claiming that he had been sodomised by his former boss.

Anwar was arrested on July 16 and detained for a night at the Kuala Lumpur city police headquarters where he had his statement recorded.

His detention was hotly protested after it was alleged that police had used rough-handed tactics when effecting the arrest.

During his detention, the former deputy prime minister was taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital where he underwent a medical examinaion.

He, however, refused to give a blood sample for DNA tests claiming that the evidence could be fabricated.

Anwar was released on bail the next day and was told to report to the city police headquarters on Aug 18. But he has now been served with the notice to appear in court today.

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Abdullah: I didn't order police to charge him

KUALA LUMPUR: The prime minister said he did not instruct the police to charge de facto opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with sodomy.

"How could I insist that he be charged? The police are not stupid to charge just because so and so might have said something to that effect," said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"And I am not one to ask people to charge. If you have something to charge, if you have evidence to charge, you charge. If you don't have, drop it. That's what I said," he said after chairing the BN supreme council meeting yesterday.

Abdullah said the case was going to court as the authorities had decided they had a case against Anwar. He said it was up to the police to decide, on the basis of investigations already carried out, whether there was enough evidence for them to prefer charges.

"If they think there is enough evidence to charge, they will have to charge," he said while stating that Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar had told him about the police decision to charge Anwar today.

Abdullah said people should not forget there was another party in the case -- the complainant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

"Another person looking for justice is the victim. You seem to forget Saiful. You think Anwar is more important.

"This is an issue of law. Somebody feels that he needs justice and he makes a report to the police. And the police, therefore, have a duty to conduct investigations, to question him, to invite others to assist in the investigations.

"If there is nothing, no evidence whatsoever, drop the charge. Drop the whole thing, the investigation. Don't do it. If there is evidence to charge, they have to charge. You can't stop them from doing that. They have to think of Saiful."

Abdullah also replied to a claim by Anwar that he had planned for Anwar to be charged today to deflect attention from the problems the government was facing.

"Why should I try to deflect from the problems of the government? They are huge problems.

"This (issue) is not going to deflect the kind of problems that we are facing at the moment."

He called on Anwar to prove his innocence in court and ruled out the possibility of street demonstrations similar to the last time Anwar was arrested in 1998.

"Why should there be demonstrations? Anwar should tell them (his supporters) there is no need to demonstrate -- ' I (Anwar) am going there (the court). I am going to face them. I am going to show them this is all nonsense' -- that's what he (Anwar) should do.

"Not resort to demonstrations to stop the process of law," he said.

To another claim by Anwar that the charge was being made out against him to sabotage his by-election campaign, Abdullah said: "We (the BN) did not announce (the election date). Neither did I ask for it to coincide this way."

Abdullah said that if the Election Commission did not announce a date anytime soon, Anwar would be making another allegation against the government.

He said if the commission did not call the by-election within 60 days, Anwar would then ask why it was being delayed. "There will always be something (ada saja)."

Abdullah noted that Anwar's sodomy investigation had been going on for some time.

He said some had claimed that Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had resigned so that the authorities would not charge Anwar with sodomy.

"There are some people who say this. There is never one version of the story. There are at least two versions. Sometimes three, four, five or 10 versions."

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar also denied that the government was attempting to derail Anwar's plans to contest the Permatang Pauh by-election.

"He should see this as an opportunity to clear his name in court. I ask everyone not to politicise the case or debate it any more as this would be sub judice," he said at the closing of the police force's Quran reading competition at the Police College in Cheras.

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Saiful: I want truth told

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's accuser, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, is relieved that his complaint is finally being taken to court.

The 23-year-old, who had been in protective custody since he lodged the police report against his former boss in late June, had earlier also accused Anwar of delaying police investigations.

Yesterday, in a statement faxed by his lawyer Zamri Idrus, Mohd Saiful said he would give his full cooperation during the trial.

He also called on Malaysians to pray that the court process would proceed smoothly and that the truth would be revealed.

Zamri, when contacted at his Johor Baru office, said his client had conveyed the message to him after being notified that Anwar had been summoned to court.

Zamri said he would be present at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court here today to hold a watching brief on behalf of his client. He, however, could not say if Mohd Saiful would be present in court.

During the course of the investigations, Mohd Saiful had, through a website, challenged Anwar to swear on the Quran that the sodomy allegation did not take place.

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I will turn up, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: While claiming that there is a political conspiracy against him, Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he would still turn up in court today to face the sodomy charge levelled against him.

"The same day they announced the date for the by-election, a subpoena was served against me," he said at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat headquarters yesterday.

Anwar is contesting the Permatang Pauh by-election on Aug 26. This followed a move by his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, to vacate the seat last week to pave way for his return to politics.

Although he said the trial would be nothing but an attempt at character assassination, Anwar gave his word that he would show up in court at 10am.

"Up until today, the police have yet to show me the report filed against me by my accuser, Saiful Bukhari, on June 28.

"There has also not been any communication between the police and my lawyers as to which courtroom the case will be heard and the exact nature of the charge. But I will still turn up," he said, adding that his lawyers were confident the case would be thrown out of court, due to the lack of evidence.

"However, if I am put on trial, that means that an enormous injustice is about to be perpetrated upon the Malaysian people, worse than those actions taken during the judicial crisis in 1988 and my previous sodomy charge in 1998, this time by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahamad Badawi."

Anwar's words yesterday also marked the first time, he has publicly and directly attacked Abdullah, to the extent of accusing Abdullah as the chief architect of the conspiracy against him.

On the Permatang Pauh by-election, Anwar, who last won the seat with a 23,515 majority under the Barisan Nasional banner, said he was confident that he would be able to retain the seat with a comfortable majority.

"Even if I should be denied bail, the election campaign will continue. Dr Wan Azizah and my other opposition colleagues will make sure the job gets done, provided the Election Commission can uphold the integrity of the election process."

Anwar said his campaign theme would be "Change!"

Among the topics he planned to touch on were the country's economic situation, good governance, racial unity and restoring the country's international image.

-TMB