KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the complainant in the sodomy case involving Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, told the High Court here yesterday that he went to three hospitals, including two private ones, for medical examination on June 28, 2008
Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan
The former aide to Anwar said he initially went to Tawakal Hospital in Jalan Pahang but the receptionist told him that the hospital only operated for half a day that day and could not do the examination.
He said he then went to Pusrawi Hospital in Jalan Tun Razak and during that time he was accompanied by an uncle named Tuah Mohd Ali, who is the younger brother of his late mother.
Mohd Saiful said at this hospital, he met Dr Mohd Osman Abdul Hamid and told the doctor that he had a stomach ache and felt pain in the anus.
“Dr Mohd Osman asked me to remove my pants and inserted something in my anus and it was at this time that I directly informed him I had been sodomised and wanted to do a medical examination,” Mohd Saiful said.
He said Dr Mohd Osman immediately stopped the examination and told him to put on his pants.
Asked by Solicitor-General II Datuk Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abiden whether he had queried why the examination was discontinued, Mohd Saiful said the doctor explained that the hospital did not have the facilities to do a forensic examination and that the medical report from the hospital could not be used in a court later.
“He then told me to get the examination done at HKL (Hospital Kuala Lumpur). I followed his advice and went straight to HKL. Initially I did not know where to go but looking at it logically, I went to the outpatient ward to register at 3pm.”
Mohd Saiful, 24, is the first witness to testify in the case since hearing began yesterday before Judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.
Earlier in yesterday’s proceedings, he gave testimony in camera for about 30 minutes before the judge, the prosecution and defence teams, himself and Anwar left the courthouse at 11.43am to visit the condominium where the alleged sodomy took place.
When hearing resumed in open court, Mohd Saiful continued with his testimony on the hospital visits.
The 63-year-old Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor and Permatang Pauh member of parliament is charged with sodomising Mohd Saiful at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in 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 can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in jail and whipping upon conviction.
Mohd Saiful, who wore a black suit with a cream coloured shirt, was very calm in giving his testimony.
According to him, he first met a lady doctor at the HKL but when he told this doctor he was ‘shy’ about talking about his case to her, a male doctor known as Dr Daniel came by Mohd Saiful said Dr Daniel, who was deeply shocked when he related that he had come for a medical examination because he had been sodomised by Anwar, issued him a note to go to HKL’s One Stop Critical Centre (OSCC).
Further questioned by Mohamed Yusof who is heading the prosecution team during examination-in-chief, Mohd Saiful said he arrived a the OSCC about 30 minutes later.
Mohd Saiful said thereafter, Dr Daniel came by about another 30 minutes later and was accompanied by another doctor.
He said Dr Daniel then took his blood pressure and 10 minutes later left the ward.
At 4.30pm, Mohd Saiful said, Dr Daniel came back and suggested that he make police report, as without it, an examination could not conducted. Mohd Saiful said he had indeed planned to lodge a police report but after the examination.
He said two policemen then came to the ward bringing along two forms to enable him to make the report, but stated it was not he who called them to come to the ward.
Mohamed Yusof: After that, did a doctor come to check?
Mohd Saiful: No.
Mohamed Yusof: Was any examination done?
Mohd Saiful: Yes, but at 9pm.
Mohamed Yusof: How many doctors came?
Mohd Saiful: To my recollection, one Chinese doctor, two male Malay doctors, one pregnant doctor and a few nurses.
Mohamed Yusof: Any others?
Mohd Saiful: Police also came, but I could not remember who then. But after this case, I remember he was the investigating officer in the case, DSP Jude Pereira.
Mohamed Yusof: When the doctors came, did they ask any questions?
Mohd Saiful: I related my story from the beginning. They wanted to do an examination. They asked if I had been injured and if there were any injury marks on my body.
Mohamed Yusof: To your recollection, which areas of your body were examined?
Mohd Saiful: My entire body.
Mohamed Yusof: Including your anus?
Mohd Saiful: Yes
Mohamed Yusof: Did they use any tools to examine the anus?
Mohd Saiful: Yes.
Mohamed Yusof: Were any specimens taken?
Mohd Saiful: Yes, using cotton buds. Taken at the body, neck and anus. I noticed they placed the swabs they had taken into containers. They then labelled the containers and sealed the covers. I initialled each of the containers.
Earlier, Mohd Saiful was shown a CCTV recording taken at the condominium on June 26, 2008.
He confirmed that a man in a white shirt appearing in it who was seen entering a lift at level P2 of the condominium at 2.42pm was him.
Mohamed Yusof: Look at the recording, at 1442 hours, a man in a white shirt is entering the lift, whose picture is it?
Mohd Saiful: Yes, it is a picture of me.
Mohamed Yusof: Where’s the place?
Mohd Saiful: In the lift at level P2 heading to the fifth floor.
At this juncture Mohamad Zabidin reminded Mohd Saiful to speak louder as he was speaking too softly.
Mohd Saiful also confirmed that a picture of a man entering the lift on the fifth floor and heading to a red car in the parking lot was him.
Mohd Saiful will continue giving his testimony at 9.30am today. Mohamed Yusof told the court that the prosecution had more or less 10 questions for Mohd Saiful.
After his testimony, the court is expected to make a visit to the management office of the condominium to enable all parties to view the CCTV recording of June 26, 2008, that is kept there.
— Bernama