Anwar's counsel Karpal Singh says the AG's clearance raised more questions than answers and that there should be an independent inquiry into the alleged affair.
Responding to the findings of the Attorney-General’s Chambers in clearing the two from having an affair, Karpal said the Attorney- General cannot be judge and jury in his own cause.
“It is elementary that there should been an independent investigation by a body with no affinity to the Attorney-General’s Chambers. The position cries out for transparency,” he said in a statement today.
He added that the findings of the AG Chambers raised more questions than answers.
Farah Azlina was part of the prosecution team in Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial while Saiful is the alleged victim.
Yesterday, in response to Karpal’s question in Parliament on the matter, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Razak said the AG’s Chambers had probed the matter and found that the allegation to be “baseless” and that there was no “concrete evidence” to suggest of a love affair.
Following the allegation, Nazri said Farah Azlina was removed from the prosecution team to prevent any further allegations of impropriety and to maintain the prosecution’s credibility.
Karpal, who is Anwar’s leading lawyer in the case, however, was not satisfied with the explanation given by Nazri on the alleged affair.
No public denial
He noted that there had been no public denial by both Saiful and Farah Azlina on the affair. Neither have they denied in court under oath despite the opportunity being there, he added.
He also asked as to why Farah Azlina was reassigned to a different section within the AG’s Chambers if there was no basis to the allegation.
“Why should she have been punished through this move if she was innocent of any impropriety?” asked Karpal.
He said that if an affair between the pair existed, then questions arise as to their criminal culpability in a Syariah Court.
“There are provisions in Muslim law for such impropriety, including punishment for zina, one of the most serious crimes known in Islamic law,” he said.
He said the unprecedented allegation “cried out for an open inquiry” so it will not be emulated by others in the future.
The allegation first surfaced in Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s Malaysia Today portal.
Anwar had attempted to strike out the sodomy case in view of the allegation, but the High Court ruled that Farah Azlina’s role was “limited” and she “had no access to any investigation papers, including any documents”, which meant that there was no abuse of power.
The ruling by Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah was made despite noting that the prosecution team had not answered the defence’s affidavit concerning the alleged affair.
He had also refused to call Saiful and Farah Azlina to answer the allegation about their “affair” during the trial.
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