Anwar prosecutors to ask A-G to appeal sodomy acquittal

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, arrive at the High Court for the verdict on Monday. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — The prosecuting team will recommend to the Attorney-General (A-G) that an appeal be filed against Monday’s High Court decision to acquit Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from a charge of sodomising his former aide. Solicitor-General II Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, who was lead prosecutor in the trial, told TV3 tonight that he would recommend a review of the decision.
“With all the evidence, I will recommend to the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail a review of the case and to consider an appeal of the decision of the High Court of Kuala Lumpur,” he told TV3.
He added that prosecutors would first apply for the written judgment to undergo a review of the grounds before proceeding with any appeal.
On Monday, the High Court acquitted Anwar of a charge of sodomising his former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled that the prosecution had not done enough to prove Anwar had committed sodomy against Saiful.

Azlan Mohd Lazim, the father of Anwar’s accuser Saiful Bukhairi Azlan, pleaded with the Attorney-General today to appeal the acquittal. — file pic

“The court could not rule 100 per cent that the DNA samples were not compromised. Without that, the court is reluctant to convict the accused based on the evidence of SP1. (SP1, which stands for prosecution witness one, refers to Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.) “Therefore the accused is acquitted,” he ruled on Monday.
Azlan Mohd Lazim, the father of Anwar’s sodomy accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan, pleaded with the A-G today to appeal Monday’s court verdict, vowing he would “fight to the end” to seek justice for his son.
The 58-year-old government pensioner repeatedly slammed the Bar Council for urging the prosecution to do otherwise, pointing out that it was his son’s constitutional right to seek an appeal.
“For the sake of my son, I plead with the A-G to appeal the decision. It is hoped that the A-G’s Chambers would not be influenced by the Bar Council or any other party,” he told a press conference at his residence here this evening.
“As a father, I will continue to stand by my son and continue this struggle to ensure he gets the justice he deserves in order to return honour to his name and the family.
“We will fight to the end — that is my promise,” he added.
The Attorney-General has about two weeks to decide if he plans to appeal the High Court’s acquittal of Anwar.
But Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee disagreed with the family, saying the High Court had ruled fairly in the case, and based his decision on the principles of natural justice.
“The case has unnecessarily taken up judicial time and public funds,” he said in a statement.