Aussie expert: It’s a historic case

By Teoh El Sen, FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II trial has made history by being the first case in the world where DNA samples have been identified in an anus after 56 hours following an alleged sodomy.

Australian DNA specialist Dr Brian Leslie McDonald, the fourth defence witness, said that the case was “very unique” as it was the longest time recorded of DNA being retrieved from a victim.

“It’s not normal or usual according to literature of 40 years. There is only one single case, our case, of 56 hours (and it) is the longest ever of DNA ever been identified,” he said during re-examination by defence lawyer Ramkarpal Singh.

McDonald was commenting on an article from a medical journal the prosecution produced on Tuesday which claimed that sperm cells could be extracted from a rectum even up to 113 hours after sex.

The expert pointed out that even the particular article and another which said sperm could last and be found 65 hours after anal sex was not talking about DNA.

“None of the cases referred to me is about DNA. Those studies were simply about the identification of semen.

“In our (Anwar’s) case, there’s a 99.99% chance that it (obtaining sperm or DNA) won’t occur,” he added.

MORE TO COME HERE.