Saiful’s samples have ‘integrity’ despite discrepancy, court told

Saiful Bukhari

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — A government scientist claimed today that two swab samples taken from Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan remained “intact” despite discrepancies in the dates of the samples.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyers yesterday questioned their validity.

Defence counsel Sankara Nair had pointed out that samples B4 (body swabs) and B5 (perinanal area) were taken from Saiful on June 28, 2008.

But the swabs were labelled as taken on June 26, 2008 (B4) and either June 26 or August 26, 2008 (B5).

During re-examination this morning, deputy public prosecutor Noordin Badaruddin questioned Dr Seah Lay Hong why she disagreed with the defence team’s claims.

‎Noorin: Why did you disagree (with defence) that it should be rejected?

Dr. Seah: At that point, I did not find basis for rejection as at that point, seal on samples were intact.

The forensic scientist maintained that that was why she felt that the discrepancies in the dates of the samples would not affect the “integrity” of the samples.

“The seal was intact. The dates were handwritten,” she said.

Anwar’s lawyers had accused Dr Seah of flouting international standards by not reporting the discrepancies.

Saiful had complained that Anwar, his ex-boss, had sodomised him at a luxury condominium in upper-class Bukit Damansara here on June 26, 2008.

Saiful, now aged 25, has never named anyone else.

Anwar, the 63-year-old PKR de facto leader, is currently facing sodomy charges for the second time in his life.

He 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.

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