Defence not calling former IGP, ex-Malacca police chief

Anwar Ibrahim's lawyer Sankara Nair says the defence made the decision following the High Court ruling to set aside the subpeonas served on Najib and Rosmah.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Anwar Ibrahim’s defence team has decided not to call former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hasan and former Malacca police chief Mohd Rodwan Mohd Yusof as witnesses in the Sodomy II trial.

Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair, when contacted by FMT, confirmed that orthopaedic surgeon Dr Thomas Hoogland was the last defence witness.

“In the wake of the High Court’s decision to allow Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Rosmah Mansor’s applications to set aside the subpeonas (compelling them to testify in the trial), we (the defence) decided not to call Musa and Rodwan.”

“We have already informed the prosecution about our decision on Monday,” he added.

The complainant in the Sodomy II trial, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, Anwar’s former aide, during his testimony, had told the court that he had contacted both Musa and Rodwan over the alleged sodomy incidents before lodging a police report on June 26, 2008.

Sankara said with the decision, the prosecution led by Solicitor-General II, Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abiden, is expected to make an application before trial judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah to call additional expert prosecution witnesses when the trial resumes next Monday.

Mohamad Zabidin, in his decision on Oct 6, ruled that Anwar had failed to show relevancy and materiality in serving the subpoenas on Najib and Rosmah.

Sankara also told FMT that the prosecution is still tight-lipped on the identities of its witnesses to rebut the defence team.

“It’s most likely related to our expert witness Hoogland’s testimony,” said Nair.

Besides Hoogland, the defence had relied on DNA experts Dr Brian McDonald and Dr David Wells, both from Australia.