MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 7, 2014) – A former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and now a political opposition leader Dato’ Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim has been convicted of sodomy, Al Jazeera Television reported.
It said the conviction upheld a government appeal against his acquittal two years ago. The Qatar-based Al Jazeera said the Malaysian Court of Appeal ruled that Anwar had sodomised his male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008 at the Desa Damansara condominium.
Anwar was acquitted by the High Court judge Mohd Zabidin on Jan 9, 2012 of sodomising his former aide. Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia and punishable by a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years of jail and whipping.
Al Jazeera reported that Anwar’s lawyers are expected to appeal against the ruling at the country’s highest court and win a stay of the sentence, but the judgement could affect his plans to run for election in a local state seat this month.
Anwar is the most potent threat to the government of Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak.
The 67-year old Anwar is the leader of opposition group Pakatan Rakyat and de facto leader of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
This is the second time Anwar has been found guilty of sodomy. He was first charged in 1998 and was jailed for nine years in prison in 2000. In September 2004, the Federal Court overturned his sodomy conviction. He was also sentenced to six years in prison for corruption in April 1999.
The independent news website Free Malaysia Today said Anwar appeared unfazed the sentence against him.
The three-man Court of Appeal panel chaired by Justice Balia Yusof Wahi with Justices Aziah Ali and Mohd Zawawi Salleh ruled unanimously that Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah had erred in his decision to free Anwar.
Anwar said the conduct of the judges was “pathetic” and zeroed in on Judge Aziah Ali, whom he described as showing so much venom and anger. “She’s not fit to be a judge to behave in that manner. There’s no decorum, the appearance of being fair, not biased,” Free Malaysia Today quoted Anwar as saying. (Mindanao Examiner)
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