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Anwar trial postpond, no delayed on Mahathir testimony

KUALA LUMPUR: The sodomy trial was postponed on Wednesday to allow lawyers to attend an appeal by one of his counsels who was sentenced to jail for filing an affidavit on behalf of the ousted former cabinet minister.

It was the latest delay in the 10-month sodomy trial stemming from a proliferation of legal cases related to Anwar, whose sacking and arrest in 1998 triggered unprecedented anti-government protests and divided Malaysia's dominant party.

The sodomy trial, which has heard no testimony for more than a month, was supposed to resume on Wednesday with High Court Judge Arifin Jaka ruling whether Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would have to appear as a defence witness.

The defence asked for Mahathir to appear last month and the judge adjourned the trial to allow lawyers to present arguments.

The trial was interrupted earlier this month by Anwar's appeal against his 1999 corruption conviction, which led to a six-year jail term, and then by the trial of the ex-police chief who assaulted the former minister in custody.

Former inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor pleaded guilty to hitting Anwar and was sentenced last week to two months in jail and a 2,000 ringgit ($525) fine.

SEX TRIAL RESET FOR THURSDAY

High Court officials said the sodomy trial was rescheduled to resume on Thursday after the Court of Appeal finishes hearing an appeal by Anwar's lawyer Zainur Zakaria against a 1998 contempt of court conviction.

High Court Judge Augustine Paul, who presided over Anwar's corruption trial, had ordered Zainur jailed for three months after he refused to apologise for filing an affidavit by Anwar seeking the dismissal of two prosecutors from his case.

In the affidavit Anwar said the two prosecutors had offered to reduce charges against one of his friends in a separate trial if he agreed to accuse the former cabinet minister of sex crimes with women.

Augustine said the affidavit, by suggesting the prosecution was based on fabricated evidence, amounted to serious contempt.

Anwar's lawyer Raja Aziz Addruse told the Court of Appeal on the first day of Zainur's appeal on Tuesday that the counsel had acted appropriately in filing the affidavit and Augustine had acted in haste.

Zainur's sentence has been suspended pending his appeal.

DEFENCE WANTS MAHATHIR ON STAND

Earlier this month the defence in Anwar's sex trial filed an affidavit giving his arguments as to why Mahathir should testify.

The former prime-minister-in-waiting says he was the victim of a political conspiracy by Mahathir's associates to prevent him from ever attaining power.

Mahathir has denied that there was any conspiracy, saying Anwar was morally unfit to succeed him and that his former protege wanted to topple his government through riots.

Anwar was arrested in September 1998 after leading 30,000 anti-government demonstrators through the capital calling on Mahathir, who has been in power since 1981, to step down.

Mahathir said in October he would testify if required, but government prosecutors last month objected when the defence asked that the prime minister take the stand.

An appearance by Mahathir would mark the first face-to-face meeting in public between the two men since the day after the prime minister sacked Anwar from his cabinet in 1998.

Anwar, once Mahathir's loyal deputy, has become one of his most severe critics and has helped galvanise a resurgent opposition that seeks an end to the prime minister's 19-year rule.-Reuters