PUTRAJAYA: Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy appeal started on the wrong footing for Anwar’s defence team this morning as judge Balia Yusof Haji Wahi sternly rebuked them for starting 15 minutes late. The proceeding was scheduled to begin at 9am.
But Ram Karpal, Anwar’s counsel, protested that they had been in court since 9am.
He then continued his submissions regarding the degradation of the sperms from the rectal swabs taken from Saiful’s anus.
“The lower and higher (rectal swabs) are pristine. One would expect that they share the same characteristics (as the other swabs), as they were allegedly sealed at the same time.
“Yet we have some that are degraded, others not degraded. This certainly raises reasonable doubt if it’s the same samples that reached the chemist,” argued Ram.
Anwar’s 2012 acquittal had hinged on the fact that the trial judge had not been able to “100% exclude” the possibility that the semen taken from Saiful’s anus had not been tampered with.
But Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the lead prosecutor, had yesterday argued in court that the integrity of the DNA extracted from the semen was intact as the container had remained sealed when brought to the chemists for examination years ago.
Earlier Anwar, his wife PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughters entered the court room at 9am this morning as the appeal against his 2012 Sodomy 2 acquittal continues in its second, and possible final, day.
The Court of Appeal may decide today whether to overturn Anwar’s acquittal by the Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah on Jan 9, 2012 of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008 at the Desa Damansara condominium.
Despite the possible conviction hanging over his head, Anwar appeared jovial as he entered the packed courtroom with his family, and chatted with supporters as well as journalists.
If the Court of Appeal overturns Anwar’s acquittal today, he must immediately apply for a stay of proceedings to remain legible to contest in the March 23 Kajang by-election.
