Saiful’s father sought me out over plot claim, PKR’s Johari says

Sungai Petani MP, Datuk Johari Abdul, organised a press conference for Azlan Mohd Lazim (picture) yesterday. — file picKUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — PKR’s Datuk Johari Abdul has claimed that Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s father was the one who sought him out to help reveal that his son’s sodomy complaint against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was allegedly a “political conspiracy”.

The Sungai Petani MP organised a press conference for Azlan Mohd Lazim yesterday who claimed his son’s claims as a plot by a special officer in the Prime Minister’s Department but Saiful later refuted the claims.

“Greetings, Saiful’s father (was the one who) approached me.

“He’s the one who ask us to reveal all this, it can’t be that his father is so stupid until he can be influenced,” Johar told The Malaysian Insider when contacted after Saiful denied the conspiracy.

The federal lawmaker said Saiful’s denial was an insult to his father.

Saiful Bukhari Azlan. — file picHours after his father’s press conference, Saiful and his lawyer Zamri Idrus spoke to the press on Azlan’s allegations.

Saiful appeared to suggest that Anwar was behind his father’s remarks on the second sodomy charge, warning the opposition leader not to use Azlan to twist the situation to achieve his goals.

Saiful did not offer any proof to back up his accusation, but only pointed to Johari’s presence at the press conference where his father had spoken earlier and apologised to Anwar and his family for the suffering they had experienced.

But Azlan had earlier said that his statements in the press conference were done on a “voluntary basis”.

Saiful denied that his sodomy complaint against Anwar — the PKR de facto leader who he had previously worked with — was a political conspiracy and expressed surprise at his father’s claim.

Saiful replied “No” when asked if a special officer in the Prime Minister’s Department was involved in planning the alleged conspiracy, as claimed by his father Azlan.

Saiful denied that he had a misunderstanding with his father and denied that his father had financial problems.

Azlan had said his sudden defence of Anwar, five years after the latter was charged in court, came after years of compiling information on the case, both during the sodomy trial and from details provided to him by informers.

The 60-year-old man said the truth was finally clear to him.

Azlan also called on all Malaysians not to believe what he described as “slander” against Anwar, urging more to rally behind the opposition leader.

On January 9 last year, the High Court acquitted and discharged Anwar of sodomising Mohd Saiful, 27, at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara here between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

Anwar speaks to members of the media after his acquittal on January 9 last year. — file picAnwar, 65, was charged under section 377B of the Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.

The former deputy prime minister 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 (PR), to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.

Anwar’s acquittal last year was highly-publicised, drawing the attention of thousands of people who camped outside the High Court as judgment was delivered, as well as hundreds of international media and political observers.

The veteran politician, who had earlier sued Mohd Saiful for wrongfully accusing him of sodomy, later withdrew the suit, saying his reputation had been vindicated by the acquittal.

The Court of Appeal has fixed this July 22 and July 23 for the hearing of the prosecution’s appeal against Anwar’s acquittal.