Malaysian opposition leader Anwar convicted of sodomy

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A court today convicted Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy, overturning his 2012 acquittal in the case, in a fresh setback to the political stalwart.

 

A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal unanimously found Anwar guilty of sodomising his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan in June, 2008.

 

The panel allowed the prosecution's appeal against the 2012 High Court decision that had acquitted 66-year-old Anwar of the charge.

 

Justice Balia of the appeal court held that the trial judge had erred in his finding that the integrity of the samples had been compromised.

 

The court is expected to deliver a sentencing shortly.

 

Sodomy is illegal in Islamic Malaysia.

 

The trial court had ruled that it could not be 100 % certain, after going through the evidence, that the integrity of the DNA samples had not been compromised. The high court subsequently acquitted Anwar on January 9, 2012.

 

Earlier, the court heard that the DNA profile of a third party was found in Saiful's anus despite his claim of not being a homosexual.

 

His lawyer had said the presence of third party's DNA could only happen if Saiful had a sexual relationship with a man or that someone else had came into contact with the samples taken from the complainant.

 

Anwar has long battled sodomy and corruption charges and was previously jailed for six years.

 

If he is sentenced, Anwar would be disqualified from parliament, effectively ending his political career. His lawyers have said they will appeal to Malaysia's highest Federal Court.