Malaysia's Anwar accused of sodomy again

Malaysia's Anwar accused of sodomy again
By JULIA ZAPPEI – 34 minutes ago

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim took refuge at the Turkish Embassy on Sunday after police began probing an allegation that he sodomized his male aide, reprising a sex scandal that led to his imprisonment a decade ago.

Anwar, 60, dismissed the accusation, made in a police complaint filed by the 23-year-old aide on Saturday, as "a complete fabrication."

The dramatic developments that began to unfold a little before midnight Saturday will likely further roil Malaysian politics, which have been in turmoil since March 8 elections handed the governing National Front coalition its worst-ever result.

A three-party opposition coalition led by Anwar made spectacular gains, winning an unprecedented 82 seats in the 222-member Parliament and the legislatures of five states. Anwar has threatened to engineer defections from the National Front to bring down the government by September.

The sodomy allegation is "clearly a desperate attempt by the ... regime to arrest the movement of the Malaysian people toward freedom, democracy and justice," Anwar said in a written statement early Sunday.

Hours later, he had moved to the Turkish Embassy amid concerns about being arrested and also because he had received anonymous death threats, said party official Azmin Ali.

"The (Turkish) ambassador agreed to ensure his safety," Azmin said. Embassy officials could not immediately be contacted.

Anwar's wife, Azizah Ismail, said her husband was "safe and sound" for now, but described the sodomy accusation as an attempt at "political murder."

More than 50 supporters gathered outside the Turkish Embassy anticipating a visit by Anwar's family. Police blocked roads in the area in an apparent security precaution.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi insisted the government was not responsible for the accusation, saying there was no conspiracy "to cause (Anwar) trouble or harass him or raise such issues to undermine him."

Asked about Anwar's denial, Abdullah said it "was common for an accused person" to claim he was innocent.

Anwar, a charismatic politician, was once part of the ruling establishment, rising to the post of deputy prime minister and finance minister in then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government in the 1990s.

But it all unraveled in 1998 when he was accused of sodomizing his driver and abusing his power to cover up the deed. Mahathir fired him from the government and had him jailed. Anwar was subsequently convicted on both charges but Malaysia's highest court overturned the sodomy conviction and freed him in 2004.

Anwar insists he was framed to prevent him from challenging Mahathir for power. After a decade in political oblivion, Anwar revived his career with this year's electoral success.

In his statement Sunday, Anwar said he "recently obtained" evidence that the national police chief, Musa Hassan, and the attorney general, Abdul Gani Patail, fabricated evidence against him in 1998. He said the latest accusation was engineered by "interested parties" to prevent him from exposing the two officials.

"I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress," Anwar said.

Bakri Zinin, the federal police chief for criminal investigations, said the aide filed a complaint Saturday claiming Anwar had sodomized him in a condominium in an upscale Kuala Lumpur suburb.

Bakri indicated Anwar faced no immediate threat of arrest, stressing police had just begun their investigation.

"We want to establish the allegation first to see whether there is truth or not," Bakri told a news conference. "We will conduct a thorough investigation and be fair to both sides."

Sodomy, even if consensual, is punishable by 20 years' imprisonment in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Anwar's People's Justice Party identified the accuser as Anwar's assistant, who started working for him in March.

Anwar did not run in the March elections because his abuse of power conviction barred him from holding political office for five years. The ban ended in April, and Anwar has indicated he wants to re-enter Parliament through a by-election, which would make him eligible to become prime minister.

Associated Press reporters Eileen Ng, Sean Yoong and Vijay Joshi contributed to this report.

Anwar’s press statement from the Turkish Embassy 29/06/2008

Anwar’s press statement from the Turkish Embassy 29/06/2008
Jun 29th, 2008
— PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE —

JUNE 29, 2008, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

I am issuing this statement from within the embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Kuala Lumpur. I was transported to the embassy earlier this morning fearing that my personal safety was in danger. I thank all those who offered to assist me in this time of need and am grateful to the Turkish Ambassador for extending an invitation to seek refuge within the Embassy.

Since the March 8th elections, numerous credible sources from within the government and military intelligence have advised me that certain agents from within Barisan Nasional leadership have initiated plots to cause harm to me or my family or my supporters. I have been told that my assassination has not been ruled out as means to subvert the people’s will and bring an end to the transformational changes taking place in Malaysia.

Notwithstanding the threats which are intended to silence my voice, I intend make public new evidence implicating that the Inspector General of the Police Musa Hassan and the Attorney General Gani Patail engaged in criminal acts of fabricating evidence in cases launched against me in 1998.

The allegations that have been made against me on Saturday are nothing more than a replay of the events which transpired in 1998 when I was sacked from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, jailed and beaten, and then charged and convicted by a kangaroo court for crimes which I never committed. This charade was orchestrated by a corrupt Barisan Nasional leadership which made use of the entire apparatus of the state power including its control of the judiciary, the police force, and its grip on the mainstream media. These actions are being repeated today to undermine the forces of reform and renewal which were unleashed in the March 2008 elections.

I would like to assure my family, friends and supporters in Malaysia that I am safe and remain committed as ever before to continuing the struggle for a free and just Malaysia.

ANWAR IBRAHIM