'Doctor is a liar' Saiful tells sodomy trial - Malaysiakini

Cross-examined for the first time by Anwar Ibrahim's defence counsel Karpal Singh, the testimony of key witness Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today saw the alleged victim's credibility being placed under the spotlight.

Asked by Karpal whether he thought of himself a good Muslim, Saiful said he 'tries to be', but conceded to missing some prayers while working with his former employer Anwar as an aide.

"However, after the (alleged sodomy) incident (on June 26), I tried to fulfil the (prayer) obligations (regularly)," Saiful told the court.

Asked about his prayers between June 26 and June 28, 2008, in particular, Saiful (right) said he only attended the Friday congregational prayers on June 27.

Asked whether he had taken a shower after allegedly being sodomised by his former employer, Saiful answered: "No."

Quick to query Saiful on this, Karpal then asked: "Do you know that your Friday prayers would not be accepted if you do not perform the mandi junub (the ritual bath obligatory for Muslims after sexual intercourse)?"

Saiful: Yes.

Karpal: I put it to you that you are not a person who understands Islam properly.

Saiful: At that time, yes, (I did not take the ritual bath). But I had taken a light bath at that time on (June) 27, prior to going for prayers, since it was Friday.

Karpal: A light bath?

Saiful: Ada mandi tapi saya cuci tak habis. Saya cuci sikit (Yes, I had a light bath, but I did not clean thoroughly. I cleaned just a little bit).

To Karpal's suggestion that Saiful did not know of the requirements of Islam since the religion requires the mandi junub before the performance of prayers, Saiful said he had resorted to bathing only lightly on June 27 as he regarded himself as being in an 'emergency situation' that allowed for the dispensing of the usual religious obligations.

"At that time it was (a state of) darurat (emergency). That is why I did not have a full shower," he explained.

Meeting with Najib

Earlier in his testimony, Saiful was asked by Karpal whether he had met Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Replying, Saiful said he met Najib, who was then the deputy prime minister 'only once' on June 24, 2008, at the politician's house in Taman Duta.

He denied ever meeting Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor.

Saiful admitted, however, to having met SAC Rodwan Yusof - the same police officer alleged to have been involved in the fabrication of evidence in Anwar's 1998 sodomy trial - two days before allegedly being sodomised on the afternoon of June 26, 2008.

Rodwan was formerly a special officer to Najib (left).

Saiful: He (Rodwan) called me and met me on June 24, 2008. We met at Hotel Melia that day.

Karpal: How did he contact you and who gave him your phone number?

Saiful: He contacted me by phone. I do not know how he obtained my number.

Saiful said he lodged a police report over the sodomy incident two days after it allegedly happened after being examined at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

"I lodged the police report to seek justice and to get protection for me and my family," he said.

'The doctor lied'

Karpal then asked Saiful about the examination conducted on him by Dr Osman Abdul Hamid at the Pusrawi Hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

Saiful said he was accompanied by an uncle of his when he went to the doctor about pains he felt in the stomach and in his anus.

Reading the medical report lodged by Osman, Karpal (below) queried Saiful on the part that stated the patient had 'alleged assaulted by plastic which is placed in the anus'.

Responding, Saiful said the report "is not clear." There was no plastic inserted into his anus, he asserted.

Karpal: So why did the doctor write like this?

Saiful: I do not know.

Karpal: Did the doctor lie in this matter? Remember, the doctor will come to testify after this.

Saiful: 'I do not know, but the doctor is lying.

Karpal: Why would he lie? Have you met him prior to this?

Saiful: 'That was my first meeting. I do not know.Karpal: Have you got any differences with him?

Saiful: I do not know.

Saiful then related his experience of being examined at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on June 28, 2008 where he said three doctors examined him.

Throughout the physical examination, said Saiful, the investigating officer in charge of the case, DSP Jude Aloysius Pereira, was present.

'No conclusive findings'

Karpal: Reading from the forensic report on the anal examination, it has been revealed that there was no scarring or sign of recent injury. Do you agree with this?

Saiful: That is the doctor's opinion.

Karpal: But the report says there was no scarring?

Saiful: I cannot see my own anus.

To explain the absence of any such marks, Saiful said that Anwar (left) had used lubricant to allegedly sodomise him.

Karpal: In the report by the three doctors, it says there are no conclusive clinical findings suggestive of penetration of the anus or rectum and there were no defensive wounds.

Saiful: No comment.

The trial before justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah continues tomorrow.