Sodomy trial: Anwar to take stand on Aug 15

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KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will take the stand on Aug 15, after the High Court allow the prosecution’s application for a week to facilitate the defence to interview Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and 14 others.

Solicitor-General II Datuk Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abiden told the court yesterday, the prosecution needed time as two of the 15 witnesses were currently in Indonesia.

In allowing the application, Justice Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah set Aug 15-26 for the defence case.

Initially, the court set Aug 8-26, with Anwar scheduled as first witness to take the stand.

Met later, Mohamed Yusof said the two witnesses from Indonesia were former maids of Hasanuddin Abd Hamid, the owner of the condominium unit where the incident allegedly occurred.

In the application, Anwar had identified one of the maids only as Suliati, while the other was Fitria Dipan.

Later, Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin told reporters, with the ruling, all witnesses needed to be in the court complex this week to be interviewed by the defence.

“If they fail to do so, the defence could apply for subpoena to compel them to be present in court.”

Meanwhile, Anwar’s lead counsel, Karpal Singh, said the 15 witnesses, including Najib and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, should come to the court complex to be interviewed by defence lawyers.

At the close of its case, the prosecution offered 71 witnesses, including Najib and Rosmah.

The defence chose to interview only 25, and so far, only five have been interviewed.

They are ex-sprint queen Datuk Mumtaz Jaafar, Dr Mohd Osman Abd Hamid, formerly of Pusrawi, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s youngest sister, Saidaiti Azlan, a Kuala Lumpur Hospital doctor known only as Dr Daniel, and Khairil Anaz Yusof, a special assistant to Najib when he was deputy prime minister. — Bernama