By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani - The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s High Court trial was adjourned at 11am today for the prosecutors and defence team to visit the condominium where the Opposition Leader allegedly sodomised his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Saiful, whom Anwar said was just his “coffee-boy”, was in the witness dock today at the second day of the trial but the hearing was held in camera due to the graphic nature of his testimony.
Solicitor-General II Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden led the questioning on behalf of the prosecution before High Court Judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.The 62-year-old PKR de facto leader is charged with sodomising Saiful at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara, between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
The former deputy prime minister has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him.
He is charged under Section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in jail and whipping upon conviction. The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008.
Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh yesterday asked for Saiful’s testimony to be heard in-camera after he graphically described Anwar’s use of profanity in asking for sex.
He also said the visit to the condominium required the use of a password which he said was “Mokhtar”.
The 24-year-old had also testified he had worked for Anwar for four months, from early March 2008 to June 28 of the same year, and stopped being the Permatang Pauh MP’s special aide because he did not want to be further abused.
Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences. He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.
He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.
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