Utusan claims Anwar using Kajang to distract from Sodomy II


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(MM) – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is contesting the Kajang by-election to distract the public from his ongoing sodomy trial, Malay daily Utusan Malaysia alleged today.

In its weekend edition Mingguan Malaysia, the newspaper’s editors writing under the Awang Selamat pseudonym reminded the public to not take their eyes off the government’s appeal of Anwar’s acquittal in the so-called Sodomy II case.

“For Awang, the real attention should actually be on the court’s decision on the appeal against Saiful’s sodomy case, not towards Kajang like it was played up by PKR,” Awang Selamat said, in reference to Anwar’s former aide and accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Quoting former PKR leaders Eazm Mohd Noor and Muhammad Rahimi Osman, the newspaper said the Kajang venture as also ploy to influence the court in Anwar’s favour.

According to the Umno-owned daily, Anwar had used the same ploy in 2008 when he triggered a by-election for the Permatang Pauh federal seat while coincidentally also facing the sodomy prosecution

“Awang actually sympathises with what Saiful is going through … The challenges gone through by Saiful to attain justice and righting the truth are too heavy,” said Awang.

In a separate report, Utusan quoted ex-PKR lawmaker and Anwar’s former lawyer, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin, as alleging that the opposition leader is trying to save himself from the sodomy case by becoming Selangor mentri besar.

“The risk to be imprisoned and ruining his dream to become the seventh Prime Minister are becoming a reality,” Zulkifli told Utusan.

According to the former Kulim MP, nobody will dare to step up to Anwar and his supporters if he succeeds in his bid to become the mentri besar.

On January 9 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court acquitted and discharged Anwar on a charge of sodomising his former aide Saiful, 26, at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara between 3.10 pm and 4.30 pm on June 26, 2008.

The prosecution’s appeal against Anwar’s acquittal is set to be heard at the Courts of Appeal on February 12 and 13.

Before that, the Federal Court will hear on February 11 Anwar’s appeal against the appellate court’s dismissal of his second application to disqualify Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from representing the prosecution in its appeal against Anwar’s acquittal on a sodomy charge.

Shafee, a senior lawyer, was appointed by the Attorney-General by fiat (authorisation) under Section 376 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) and Article 145 (3) of the Federal Constitution to conduct the appeal at the Court of Appeal.

 



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