Thursday, July 17, 2008

Anwar lashes out at cops

(The Star) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim lashed out at the police saying that to date they have not given him a copy of the police report of the sodomy allegation made by Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

He questioned why despite repeated requests the police report was being kept from him and his lawyers.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arriving at his home in Bukit Segambut on Thursday morning after being released on police bail.

"Is it so that they can keep amending and amending and amending it to fit in with the statement that I have just given to the police. I gave my statement for five hours yesterday (Wednesday) and for another 30 minutes this morning.

"If they give the report to me now, how am I supposed to know that it is the original? Are they waiting to make up the 'perfect' police report (to fix me)," he said, adding that each time he asked the police for a copy of the report, he was told they had been instructed against giving him a copy.

"Who gave the instruction? The Deputy Prime Minister or his wife? The IGP or AG?" he asked.

He said there has never been a case where a suspect did not know exactly what he was being accused of or denied access to the police report made by the accuser.

Anwar who was released on police bail Thursday morning after being held overnight at the KL police headquarters lock-up, told a press conference, that as a whole the police treated him well and "did not touch him."

But he complained that he had been put in lock-up meant for hardcore criminals overnight and forced to sleep on a cold cement floor.

"It is known that I have a severe back problem and I had a major back surgery before. Lying on the cold cement floor has exacerbated the pain. It was only at 1am when Azizah (wife, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) brought me a towel that I could put the towel on the floor and lie on it," he said.

He said the pain in his back was so severe that Thursday morning when he was released, his family doctor had to inject him with a strong dosage of pain killer to ease the pain.

"I don't deserve this. No Malaysian deserves this. Why treat me like a major criminal and public enemy? Short of torture, what else do you call it, " he said.

Anwar also disclosed that during his medical examination that he was made to undergo at the KL Hospital, he was stripped naked, had his whole body was examined including his private parts measured.

"Of course I refused to be photographed because it would be on (video sharing portal) YouTube very soon! For a man of my age, it's not a compliment!" he quipped, to much laughter.

Anwar said he did not agree to having a blood sample taken because he did not trust the system and feared that the police would fabricate evidence against him using his DNA as he alleged they had done 10 years ago for a similar crime.

He said while he trusted the doctors and their professionalism, they could not guarantee the safety of the sample once it was handed over to the police.

He cited the 1998 sodomy case where the police found his samples on a mattress to implicate him and when the court found the evidence inadmissible, Justice S. Augustine Paul merely expunged that part, amended the charges and let the case proceed instead of throwing the case out.

He also pointed out that in the present case, Mohd Saiful was still under police protection "making any fabrication possible" if they obtained his DNA.

In any case, he said, the police already had his DNA sample of 10 years ago which they forcibly obtained from KLH.

On whether he would allow for an international forensic team to test the sample, Anwar said, the burden of proof was with the accuser.

Anwar said anybody could cast aspersions against others, and just because he (Anwar) happened to be on a different side of the government, this was used as a "national programme" against him with any compelling evidence.

"I am prepared to be investigated but not to be intimidated," he said, adding that if there was "compelling evidence one, two, three and four which needs an international expert," then he would be willing to submit.

Anwar said he was confident if the case was professionally handled and transparent, it would have been closed by now for lack of evidence.

Anwar also "advised" the Prime Minister to conduct the case professionally.

He said some of those involved like the AG Tan Sri Gani Patail and the IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan had a personal vendetta against him as they were involved in the 1998 case against him.

"I went through hell in the 1998 case. They should not use this as a personal vendetta against me," he said, adding that both Musa and Gani should have nothing to do with the case.

He also took to task Federal CID director commissioner Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin for telling Malaysians a "blatant lie" by saying that they had the reason to believe that Anwar was not going to show up at the police headquarters at 2pm on Wednesday as promised.

"I gave my commitment that I would come. My lawyer had just spoken to DSP Jude Pereira at 12.45pm and assured him that I would show up on time," he said, adding that he was ambushed 5 minutes after that call.

Anwar said he was going home for a quick lunch after which he planned to proceed to the police headquarters.

Speaking to reporters after the press conference, Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair said Anwar’s bail expires on Aug 18 when he will have to report to the police. He added that Anwar will only give a DNA sample if ordered by a court.

At another press conference, at Bukit Aman, the IGP said police are looking at the possibility of getting a court order to compel Anwar to give his DNA sample.

On Thursday morning, Anwar was released on police bail after having his statement recorded the night before, the Deputy IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar said.

He was safely back at his home in Bukit Segambut in Kuala Lumpur by 10.05am.

Anwar's statement was taken down to facilitate police investigations into the report lodged on June 28 by his 23-year-old former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan alleging he had been sodomised by the PKR de facto leader.

"He was arrested yesterday (Wednesday) as he was a suspect, and his arrest was made in accordance with the law," Ismail said.

"Police followed every procedure and had even informed him and his lawyers that the warrant for his arrest had been obtained.

"He was treated fairly and according to due process of the law, which included allowing his wife (Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) to visit him at about midnight," he added.

Ismail said police would continue with their investigations.

He also appealed to the public not to speculate and to allow the police to investigate this case as they would any other case.

At a press conference at about 10am, Anwar's lawyers R. Sivarasa and Sankara said that no charges had been levied on the former deputy prime minister at this time.

He will have to report to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Aug 18 however.

They said that Anwar refused to give a DNA sample on Wednesday night because they feared there would be fabrication of evidence, which Anwar had alleged had taken place in the infamous "black eye" incident of nearly a decade ago.

At that time, Anwar was alleged to have committed sodomy too.

He lodged a police report against IGP Musa and A-G Gani, who were the investigating officer and chief prosecutor respectively in that case.