Sodomy II appeal should not proceed, Mat Zain tells A-G

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — Last week’s revelation by Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s father has compounded doubts over the Sodomy II charges against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, former senior police officer Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim said today, adding that in light of other alleged discrepancies, the case should no longer be pursued.

Anwar was acquitted of the sodomy charge last January but an appeal was filed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and a hearing has been set for July 22.

Mat Zain, the ex-KL CID chief who was central to the probe on Anwar’s famous “black-eye” case, wrote in yet another letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Naib Razak and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar today that Sodomy II has been beleaguered by too many falsehoods.

He singled out the prime minister and A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, accusing the former of lying in the affidavits he filed to set aside his subpoena in Sodomy II, and repeated allegations that Abdul Gani had fabricated evidence in Sodomy I and Anwar’s black-eye probe.

He singled out the prime minister and A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (picture), alleging lies in the former’s 2011 affidavits that were filed to set aside his subpoena in Sodomy II, and repeated allegations that Abdul Gani had fabricated evidence in Sodomy I and Anwar’s black-eye probe.

“In my view, although there were no exposes made by Azlan Lazim (Saiful’s father), the hearing of Sodomy II can no longer proceed,” the now-retired Mat Zain said.

The former top policeman has been penning countless letters to Najib over the past few years, repeatedly claiming abuses in the police force and making damning allegations of corruption implicating Abdul Gani and former IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan, largely in cases involving Anwar.

“Gani Patail, as the person who gave the final word to charge Anwar in Sodomy II, and who filed the appeal when the High Court acquitted him, can be proven as having committed so many falsehoods and fabrication of fake evidence simply to convict Anwar of criminal charges since 1998,” Mat Zain said today.

“In short, it can be proven that Gani has been having ill intentions towards Anwar since 1998,” he wrote in the letter.

In a heavily-guarded press conference last Friday, Azlan came out to say that Sodomy II was merely a political conspiracy involving his son, who was the complainant in the case.

Azlan alleged that the plot was planned by a special officer in the Prime Minister’s Department and was engineered to tarnish Anwar’s image with another sodomy charge, the opposition leader’s second since he lost his post in government in 1998.

The 60-year-old, however, was without his son at the press conference called by PKR’s Sungai Petani MP Datuk Johari Abdul. Later that evening, Saiful repudiated his father’s revelation.

Critics immediately claimed the timing of Azlan’s revelation was aimed at boosting Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) electoral support although analysts polled by The Malaysian Insider said they believed it would not impact Election 2013 much.

Despite this, just three days later, Azlan announced that he would be joining Anwar’s PKR.

He claimed, however, that the decision had nothing to do with his accusation, saying he had been a PKR backer “as a grassroots supporter” since its formation in 1998.

He dismissed allegations that he was paid to make such claims and insisted that the revelation, made amid anticipation that national polls will be held within weeks, was the truth.

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

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