Sodomy trial: Anwar to take stand on June 6

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MOBBED: Anwar and his wife outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court after he was ordered to enter his defence against sodomy charges involving his former aide. — Bernama photo

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be the first defence witness expected to be called on June 6, followed by 25 other witnesses at the High Court scheduled to hear the defence case from June 6-30.

Justice Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah set the dates after meeting both parties in his chambers, immediately after ordering Anwar to enter his defence over a sodomy charge involving his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Lead counsel Karpal Singh told reporters that other than Anwar, defence was expected to call Dr Mohd Osman Abd Hamid, a former doctor of Pusat Rawatan Islam (Pusrawi) and two forensic experts to rebutt the prosecution case.

Dr Mohd Osman was the first doctor who examined Mohd Saiful and advised him to seek further treatement at the government hospital after he had disclosed being sodomised by “a high-profile politician”.

The experts are Prof Dr C Damodaran from Chennai, India and Associate Professor David Lawrence Noel Wells from Melbourne, Australia.

Karpal said the defence would also be interviewing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who are in the list of 71 witnesses offered by the prosecution.

“Prosecution will be assisting us in interviewing the witnesses requested by us and probably, the interviews would be conducted at one of the meeting rooms here by next week,” he told reporters after Mohamad Zabidin’s judgement.

Anwar, 63, pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court on Aug 7, 2008, to committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature at Kondominium Desa Damansara in Bukit Damansara between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, the same year.

The charge comes under section 377B of the Penal Code which carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ jail and whipping.

Meanwhile, SN Nair said: “This (decision) is not the end of the matter, but we have a second chance to show that the charge was fabricated against our client and no such act (sodomy) ever took place.”

Anwar told his supporters who had gathered in the court compound as early as 6.30am, that the defence would call witnesses to prove his innocence.

“Justice will prevail at the end of this case and I have confidence in my lawyers,” he said before being mobbed by the supporters who later dispersed peacefully, following advice by the police. — Bernama