News flash : Anwar not worried about arrest

Anwar and wife Dr Wan Azizah leaving the Federal Territory Religious Affairs Department. - Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said he is not worried about the possibility of being arrested again over the allegation of sodomy against him although he hoped the police would not do it.

"Nobody wants to be arrested or detained. But with the Pusrawi (leaked medical) report, I wonder why they (the police) want to pursue this case," said the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader.

He said he was also not worried with the results of the Kuala Lumpur hospital report.

He added that if the medical examination and investigations were done professionally, like the one done by Pusrawi, he believed the authorities would come up with the same conclusion that he did not sodomise anybody.

When asked whether he had seen the KL hospital report, he said: "No.

Anwar was speaking to reporters after giving a statement to Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) this afternoon on his complaint to the department over the accusation by his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan that he had sodomised him.

Anwar lodged the complaint with Jawi on July 9.

More to come

-TMI

Investigations will not be dropped, says Syed Hamid

KUALA LUMPUR: Investigations into Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's sodomy allegations against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not be dropped. "He has not been charged yet. What are we supposed to drop? This is not a media court," said Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

He was commenting on Anwar's call that the sodomy investigations be dropped after a medical report from Hospital Pusrawi surfaced on Monday, stating that Mohd Saiful needed to be re-examined at a government hospital "to rule out" sodomy.

It was revealed that on June 28, the day Mohd Saiful lodged the police report alleging that he had been sodomised by Anwar, he had visited two hospitals.

He went to Hospital Pusrawi where he was checked by Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid.
Mohd Saiful was referred to a government hospital after the doctor learnt that he planned to lodge a police report.

The full medical report from Hospital Pusrawi was published in two online news portals on Monday, following which, Anwar demanded that the case against him be dropped.

Syed Hamid, however, said investigations had to be completed and the investigation papers handed to the prosecutor before a decision was made whether or not to charge Anwar.

"Evidence is a chain. It is not one single piece upon which you make your decision.

"Why doesn't he (Anwar) go to the police and cooperate?" asked Syed Hamid, referring to Anwar's refusal to give his blood sample for DNA tests.

"If there is a charge, it will be in the court of law. This is due process," said Syed Hamid at a press conference held after delivering the keynote address at the International Conference on the Representation of Islam and Muslims in the Media.

Asked if police had deliberately concealed the report, Syed Hamid countered by asking if there was any country in the world where evidence in an investigation was given to the media before the case went to court.

"How can you ask about something that has not even gone to court yet?

"It should be in perspective. Let the police conduct the investigations and let the Attorney-General's Chambers decide if there is a case.

"If there is, the defence has the right to rebut whatever evidence is brought by the prosecutor."

Syed Hamid also brushed off suggestions that the leaked medical report had increased public support for Anwar and intensified speculation that the case was an attempt to frame the former deputy prime minister.

"I personally feel it would be irrational of the government to create a case of this nature, at this time, against such a person.

"It is an investigation and if there is a complainant, regardless of whether he is a famous person or an ordinary man, his complaint has to be investigated."

He also denied allegations that police were dragging their feet over investigations and said they could not be blamed for being cautious, considering the case involved a prominent person.

Syed Hamid added that Anwar was looking at the political dimensions of the case instead of its legal aspects.

"He is playing to the gallery. He wants to take the first step as it would make us look as if we are in the wrong," he said.

On the leaked medical report, Syed Hamid said the medical fraternity had to take action.

"Otherwise patients will not trust doctors. This is dangerous," the home minister added.

-NST Online

Anwar to be charged for sodomy as police wrap up probe

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — The police have completed their investigations into sodomy allegations against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and are going to charge the opposition icon soon for sodomising his accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider that investigators are "crossing the t's and dotting the i's" and will be relying on Anwar's DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) samples from 1998 when he faced similar charges which cost him the chance to be prime minister.

"Nobody wants a repeat of 1998 when the prosecution had to amend the charges. Anwar has alleged that he had an alibi for the 24 hours on the day the offence took place. So the authorities have to check everything out," said an official who is familiar with the investigations.

"We understand that there is an attempt to quash credibility of the case even before the matter goes to court. The police cannot say too much because then they will be accused of trial by media and ministers cannot say much because they will be accused to interference.

"This case is built on strong scientific evidence," the official added.

Anwar has claimed that he is a victim of a political conspiracy and has refused to give a blood sample for DNA tests, saying that it could be used to fabricate evidence against him.

Waving the leaked medical report today, Anwar called on the police to drop the case, saying it was proof there was a plot to implicate him in a repeat of the 1998 case.

"How else can we fathom why the police during the last four weeks of their 'thorough and professional investigations' have overlooked such a critical piece of evidence?

"I condemn in the strongest terms their negligence, dishonesty and recklessness in humiliating the nation by dragging us all through this vile and filthy charade," Anwar said.

Police arrested him on July 16 an hour before he was due to be questioned, causing a furore as it was similar to the chain of events a decade ago when he was charged with corruption and sodomy. Anwar was convicted on both charges and spent six years in jail before being freed in 2004 when his sodomy appeal was upheld.

Earlier today. Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said police will not cease investigations into the allegations against the former deputy prime minister despite a leaked medical report that states Saiful has no medical evidence of sodomy. The former male aide to Anwar lodged a police report on June 28, alleging that he had been sodomised by Anwar in a condominium on June 26.

"This is just one aspect of the investigations. The police are piecing together evidence, let them do their job and complete their investigations," Syed Hamid said. "As it is, they haven't charged Anwar with anything yet," he added.

The Malaysia Today news portal yesterday revealed a medical report dated June 28 that indicated the lack of evidence of anal intercourse, with its editor Raja Petra Kamarudin also claiming that the examining doctor, Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid, had gone into hiding because the police had attempted to have him change his medical report to implicate Anwar.

The police have denied the allegation.

"We interviewed the doctor in the early stages of our investigations following the police report lodged by Mohd Saiful," said Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar.

"But we did not arrest the doctor or detain him for three days as alleged by the Malaysia Today report. We don't have any plans to do so either," he said.

-TMI