Saiful tells of his meetings with Najib, Ezam

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan today revealed details of his separate meetings with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and former PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor, who was recently appointed senator.
Saiful told the High Court that Najib, who was then deputy prime minister, was initially sceptical about his allegation against Anwar Ibrahim, but this later turned to shock.

The meeting took place at the deputy premier's residence in Taman Duta on June 24, 2008, two days before the sodomy incident which led Saiful to file a police report against Opposition Leader Anwar.

On June 27, Saiful said he met Ezam in Rawang to complain to the latter about how Anwar had allegedly abused him.

Ezam, a former close confidant of Anwar since his days as deputy premier, had quit PKR after a fallout and since then has been on the warpath against his ex-boss.

Saiful, who was a former aide to the opposition leader, has claimed that he was sodomised by Anwar against his will at a condominium in Kuala Lumpur on June 26.

He has also claimed that it was not the first time that the man, whom he idolised, had done this to him.

Anwar, on the other hand, has described the charge as a political consipracy, similar to the one authored in 1998 which saw him jailed for sodomy.

Saiful also revealed details pertaining to his phone call to Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan a day before the incident and his meeting with another top cop Rodhwan Mohd Yusof.

Saiful, on the third day of cross-examination by Anwar's counsel Karpal Singh, said he first went to Najib's office in January 2008 to get a support letter for a study loan to enrol for a pilot course in Kota Baharu.

"At that time, I did not see the deputy prime minister and only met his special officer," he added.

30-minute meeting with Najib
Responding to another question, Saiful, 24, said he was taken to Najib's house on June 24 by the latter's ex-aide Khairil Anas.

“I went to Khairil's house to tell him about this (sodomy allegation), and he then took me to Najib's house,” he said, adding that they reached the latter's residence around 8pm.

Saiful said he then spent some 30 minutes relating his ordeal to the deputy prime minister during the meeting, where Khairil was also present.

Asked if Najib had offered him any advice, the star witness replied: “No”.

Apart from this, Saiful also revealed to the court that he had caught a glimpse of Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor at the house, but did not meet her personally.

He also denied meeting one 'Datuk Mumtaz' at Najib's house.

It is believed that Karpal was referring to Mumtaz Jaafar, a former national runner, who now heads the National Athlete Welfare Foundation, in which Rosmah is the patron. Mumtaz is said to be a close friend of Rosmah.

Quizzed on how he had obtained the IGP's phone number, Saiful said it happened by chance when he was in Najib's house.

“Najib asked for Musa's number from someone whom I cannot identify. I overheard the conversation and keyed the number into my mobile phone in case of emergency,” he added.

After the meeting with Najib, Saiful said Khairil drove him back to the latter's house, and this was where he received a call from Rodhwan, and the police officer had asked Saiful to meet him at Melia Hotel on the same night.

“I met Rodhwan in a room at the hotel and told him what had happened to me,” he said, adding that he had only related his complaint verbally and did not lodge a report then.

'Crank call' to the IGP

Responding to Karpal, Saiful said Rodhwan did not advise him on what to do next, but had requested for another meeting at the Concorde Hotel on June 25. This was later cancelled.

As for Musa, Saiful said he had called the police chief on June 25 and had a brief conversation with him.

Karpal: Why telephone him?

Mohd Saiful: To complain about my problems.

Karpal: Many problems?

Mohd Saiful: Of course, I have many problems.

Karpal: Did you meet him?

Mohd Saiful: Only contacted him.

Karpal: When?

Mohd Saiful: On June 25, 2008, in the morning.

Karpal: You contacted him to tell him your problems, right?

Mohd Saiful: Yes, but I only spoke for a minute and was scolded by the IGP because he probably thought it was a crank call and put down the telephone. He also reminded me not to call him again.

To another question from Karpal, Saiful said he did not find it strange that he had managed to meet the deputy premier and call the IGP.

On his meeting with Ezam, Saiful said a colleague, by the name of Rahimi, and his uncle, Tuah Mohamad, took him to mee Ezam at the latter's house at Bandar Tasik Puteri.

Asked by Karpal if he had known Ezam prior to that, Saiful said he only knew him superficially.

Saiful told the court that the late night meeting with Ezam, prior to the police report being lodged against Anwar, only ended the next morning.

The trial continues tomorrow.

Anwar, 63, is charged with sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful, 25, at Unit 11-5-1 Desa Damansara Condominium, Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara, between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

He is charged under Section 377B of the Penal Code and faces up to 20 years' in jail and whipping upon conviction.