Sodomy II prosecutor faces chop amid ‘affair’ allegation

Allegations that a member of the prosecution team in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II trial is romantically involved with lead witness Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan has rocked prosecutors who say they are still undecided if she would be dropped when the case resumes next month.

Fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin had earlier today alleged that a female deputy public prosecutor, who is a junior member of the prosecution team in Anwar’s trial, is having an “affair” with Saiful.

But lead prosecutor for the case, Solicitor-General 2 Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, stressed that any decisions on whether she would still be on the team would only be made on August 2, when the trial resumes.

Mohd Yusof refused say whether she had been dropped following Raja Petra’s allegations.

“I cannot tell you for now, I have not heard about these claims or allegations. But I will have to consult my team, and we will see on August 2 whether she will still be on the team,” Mohd Yusof told The Malaysian Insider.

But the senior prosecutor insisted that her role in the case was minimal, as she was “not officially” part of the team when the trial first started.

Mohd Yusof was also at great pains to explain that she had only been brought in to assist with compiling data and taking notes of trial proceedings because another prosecutor left the team.

“To begin with, she was not in my team. She is not a permanent member of the team… she was only brought in to help with taking notes, compiling data, evidence.

“So I cannot say that she’s been dropped from the team, because she was well, not really part of the team, not like (DPPs) Noorin (Badaruddin), or Wong (Chiang Kiat), or myself. She was brought in to help out, but now we have at least three lawyers who can do the compiling, and sometimes Noorin also takes down notes.

“Besides this she (the implicated DPP) is a prosecutor, a lawyer. She also has other cases to handle. If we decide not to include her on the team next month, it’s because we can handle it without her… it’s because she too has other cases to manage,” said Mohd Yusof.

But the solicitor-general was mum when asked whether there was any truth to Raja Petra’s claims, and whether it would mean that she needs to be dropped from the team in the event that the allegations are true.

“I do not know.I cannot comment because I have not spoken to my team yet. Not to my knowledge, I do not know of this.

“What my team does in their own personal time is not my business. Usually, I don’t check on their personal lives. So I don’t know. I cannot comment. Can you trust Raja Petra in the first place? He’s always spreading rumours.

“I’m saying this, I have to meet my team, and I’ll get back to you. But she is not an important part of the team. She will only help if we need it,” insisted Mohd Yusof.

Anwar is being prosecuted by an eight men prosecution team comprising Mohd Yusof, Datuk Nordin Hassan, Mohamed Hanafiah Zakaria, Wong, Noorin, Mira Mirna Musa, Naidatul Athirah Azmad and Farah Azlina Latif.

Saiful and the female DPP implicated could not be reached for comment.

Anwar, the 62-year-old PKR de facto leader, is charged with sodomising Saiful at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

The former deputy prime minister has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him. He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction. The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008.

Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences. He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.

He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.

courtesy of Malaysian Insider