Anwar verdict due in Malaysia court

[webfact]

Court's decision on Anwar due today



KUALA LUMPUR: -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called on the public to accept the court’s decision on opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial, which concludes today, Feb 10, New Straits Times reported.

Regardless of the outcome, the court’s verdict was determined by the nation’s law and must be respected, Dr Mahathir said.

A five-man bench of the Federal Court is scheduled to announce the verdict on the opposition leader’s final appeal against his conviction and five-year jail sentence, to end the seven-year sodomy saga.

The judgment is the culmination of an eight-day hearing late last year, said to be the country’s longest appeal hearing, after which the bench reserved its decision after presiding over submissions from Anwar’s 15-strong defence team, led by lawyer and former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram.

On Jan 9, 2012, the Kuala Lumpur High Court acquitted Anwar of committing unnatural carnal intercourse against his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azran, 27, at a condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.

However, the Court of Appeal reversed the acquittal on March 7 last year and sentenced him to five years’ jail, ruling that the lower court had erred in its finding that the integrity of the DNA samples in the case was compromised.

Anwar, 68, will lose his parliamentary seat if his conviction and jail term is upheld.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/courts-decision-anwar-due-today


-- Thai PBS 2015-02-10

[scorecard]

He's guilty, can't be any other decision.

Who decided / proclaimed he's guilty? Look at the photo.

[Ulysses G.]

If he is "guilty" of sodomy, who cares? He never should have been charged with it in the first place.

[webfact]

Malaysia top court upholds Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia's top court on Tuesday upheld opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction in a case seen at home and aboard as politically motivated to eliminate any threats to the government.

Federal Court judge Arifin Zakat, who read the verdict on behalf of the five-judge panel, said the accusation by an Anwar aide that he was sodomized was credible, and that it was upholding a 5-year sentence imposed by the Appeals Court last year.

This was Anwar's last avenue for appeal, and it means he will go back to prison immediately.

Arifin said the defense allegations that the case was a political conspiracy "remains an allegation, unsubstantiated by any facts whatsoever."

Anwar was accused of sodomizing a male aide in 2008, but was acquitted by the High Court in 2012. However, the Appeals Court overturned the acquittal in March last year and sentenced him to five years in jail. He has said the charges were trumped up to kill his political career.

Anwar was seen as the most potent threat to Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling party.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-02-10

[Ulysses G.]

Too bad.

[steelepulse]

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia's top court upholds opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction.

Of course they did. There could be no other decision as long as the Mad Hatter is around to make sure his party has no opposition.

[Lite Beer]

Malaysia court upholds Anwar sodomy conviction

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AFP) - Malaysia's highest court on Tuesday upheld a sodomy conviction against Anwar Ibrahim, rejecting his appeal in a case that the opposition leader calls a conspiracy and casting fresh doubt over his turbulent political career.

Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria said the Federal Court had dismissed Anwar’s challenge against the conviction handed down last March, which found him guilty of sodomising a young former male aide, Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Last year’s conviction brought a five-year jail term, but it was not immediately clear whether Anwar would be imprisoned or how long for.

The prosecution is seeking a longer sentence, and the session was to resume in the afternoon after a brief adjournment.

Tuesday’s decision exhausts all legal paths in Anwar’s bid to overturn the conviction.

Sodomy is punishable by up to 20 years in prison in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

The announcement was read out to a stunned courtroom packed with journalists, opposition figures, and Anwar’s family and supporters.

Anwar turned around after the announcement to exchange grim hugs with his family.

"What else is new?" he said to them, sarcastically.

Government critics calls the case part of a long-running campaign to destroy Anwar, a former deputy premier who was ousted from the ruling party in the late 1990s and later helped unite a previously divided and hapless opposition into a formidable force.

The ruling is likely a heavy blow to both Anwar and the opposition.

Now 67, Anwar might not emerge from prison until the age of 72 if he serves the full term.

At any rate, under Malaysian law the decision will strip Anwar of his parliament seat, disqualifying him from taking part in the next elections due by 2018.

"It’s a day of infamy. It’s a shocking decision," senior opposition parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang told AFP.

Several prominent legal observers had said they felt that, in hearings late last year before the Federal Court, Anwar’s defence had successfully raised sufficient reasonable doubt over the charge that he sodomised Saiful in 2008.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Malaysia-court-upholds-Anwar-sodomy-conviction-30253768.html

-- The Nation 2015-02-10

[Eric Loh]

Sodomy put Anwar in jail for 5 years and yet the murder case of Mongolian model Altantuya that was involved with Najib government graft went unpunished. Political persecution no doubt and typical of regional politics.

[aliep]

well bugger me

[Gandtee]

Anwar will lose his seat? The mind boggles.It's up to him what he does in private.

[Bkungbank]

His coalition parties won 52% popular votes in last election, it scare the government and try to bring him down in any mean.

If he form a government many politicians will be in prison due to heavy corruption.

[klauskunkel]

Looks like here is a man who enjoys a lifetime of being brown-nosed...

[wpcoe]

So he's found guilty of sodomy and sentenced to five-years in prison, where of course there is no sodomy.

[rbt]

These corrupt muslim politicians pay only lip service to their religion. One wonders what will happen to them when they are brought before their Allah to explain why they made an innocent man (anwar ibrahim) suffer so much? If, as they believe, there is hell in the after-life then that is where they are headed. Into the burning fires.

[Roota]

Of course they did. There could be no other decision as long as the Mad Hatter is around to make sure his party has no opposition.

There's no evidence that Mahathir has any real influence any more. Najib and his cronies have plenty of reasons of their own to keep a lid on Anwar.

The Tunku might be turning over in his grave, to see what a mess his nation has made of its so-called democracy.

[ggt]

committing unnatural carnal intercourse

Would someone explain here what "Natural Carnal Intercourse" is?

I suspect this guy happened to get caught...millions of others are shaking in their undies...

[chooka]

Well he shouldn't have put it where it isn't meant to go

[ozyjon]

Did he really do it?

[BestBitterPhuket]

He was "convicted" of sodomy, not rape. Strangely enough, only Anwar was prosecuted, and not the other party, Mr Saiful, for this illegal act. The other party, has been referred to as the victim, in both the courts and the state run government mouth piece media. Also, Mr Saiful had an affair with a lady on the prosecution team, but that didn't bother any if the judges. Anwar claimed it is a conspiracy. Well, prime minister Najib has admitted he met with the so called victim at his private residence, just before the alleged act of sodomy took place, without giving any credible explanation if why. Mere coincident?

Was Anwar guilty of sodomy? Who knows, it has yet to be proven in a proper court if law. He has yet only been convicted in a kangaroo court.

Was his prosecution politically motivated? 100% so.

Was there a conspiracy? YES.

[aliep]

Well he shouldn't have put it where it isn't meant to go

One up the bum, no harm done

[outsider]

What a load of stinking $h1te.

On a separate note, I am at awe with the geniuses at Malaysia's National Heart Institue for their ability to repeatedly patch this ancient relic up so well, he's still at it (spewing bull$hite) despite already having a place reserved for him at some museum of unnatural history.

[Gandtee]

A High Court judge asked another High court Judge, "What would you give a man who allowed himself to be buggered" ?The reply " Thirty shillings or two pounds, or whatever you have in your pocket"!

[fvw53]

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia's top court upholds opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction.

Of course they did. There could be no other decision as long as the Mad Hatter is around to make sure his party has no opposition.

My general rule is that a government party which is in power for more than 10 years starts to monopolise and manipulate the justice system in order to stay in power : some ASEAN member states are in this category.