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Solicitor-General set to lead sodomy prosecution |
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Thursday, 31 July 2008 08:47am |
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 ©The
Malaysian Insider (Used by permission)
Exclusive to The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — He is unknown, an anonymous name in Malaysian legal
circles. But Datuk Idrus Harun has one of the toughest jobs in the country — he
is going through the investigation papers prepared by police officers and is
slated to lead the prosecution team if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is charged with
sodomy.
The Malaysian Insider has learnt that the investigation papers were sent
by the police to the Solicitor-General late yesterday.
Investigators say that they have sufficient evidence to make a prima facie case
against the former deputy prime minister but the final call rests with Idrus.
This controversial case landed on Idrus’s lap after Anwar accused
Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri
Musa Hassan of fabricating evidence against him when he was assaulted while in
detention in 1998.
After this, the government decided that both Gani and Musa should not be
involved in the probe into the fresh sodomy allegation against Anwar.
Idrus is seen as a straight shooter in the legal service but there are concerns
that he is a greenhorn when it comes to criminal prosecution.
Despite this misgiving, government officials believe that those involved in the
probe should not have the baggage of 10 years ago when Anwar was accused of
corruption and sodomy and spent six years in jail for both convictions. He was
freed after the Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction in 2004.
The fresh sodomy accusation was lodged on June 28 by 23-year-old Mohd Saiful
Bukhari Azlan against the opposition leader. The male aide claimed Anwar
committed sexual assault eight times with the last being at a posh Damansara
condominium on June 26.
The university dropout lodged a report after going for a medical examination at
the Hospital Pusrawi in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. The doctor on duty sent
him for a further check-up in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital where he duly reported
the sexual assault.
The first medical report was leaked on the Internet early this week and has
fanned a controversy as it states there was no evidence of sodomy on Saiful.
However, the hospital administrators have said it is inconclusive as the doctor
is a general medical practitioner.
The Health Ministry is investigating how the report was leaked and made public,
adding it will stand by the report made by the Kuala Lujmpur Hospital.
Anwar has seized on the leaked medical report as a vindication of his innocence,
calling on the police to drop the investigations as it clearly was meant to
implicate him. However, the police are continuing with their probe and have
recommended to charge the former deputy prime minister.
Saiful himself stands by his accusations and called on Anwar to swear his
innocence by the Quran. Anwar has traded accusations with Saiful by lodging a
qazaf or slander report at the Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department
where he gave a statement yesterday.
Anwar has also sued Saiful for defamation.
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Circular No 297/2008
Dear Speddy Gonzales,
I can see that the police is so expeditious in investigating Anwar with the prosecution levelling charges so speedily. Keep up the good job!
On the same note, why don't the same team investigate and charge the "Lingam-6 Gang", viz. Tun Mahathir, Tengku Adnan, VK Lingam, Eusoff Chin, Ahmad Fairuz & Vincent Tan?
Annou Anselm a/l Joseph Xavier