Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyer Latheefa Koya says prison officers *have no legal authority” to prevent prisoners from seeing their lawyer. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyer Latheefa Koya of PKR, describing a ban on her visiting her client in prison, says she will consider taking legal action if the ban is not lifted.
She said the Prisons Department action to bar her was “outrageous, unlawful and unconstitutional”.
She urged Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to reverse the ban and respect Anwar’s right to counsel, adding that she will consider taking legal action if the ban is not lifted.
“The prison authorities or home ministry have no legal authority whatsoever to prevent any prisoner from having consultations with the lawyer of his choice,” she said.
Prison officials said today that Latheefa would not be allowed to visit Anwar, whether in prison or even “outside prison walls”.
In a strongly-worded response, Latheefa said: “Their actions have the effect of interfering with ongoing court actions, for which he needs to meet with and provide me with instructions.”
She said she was informed of the ban when she tried to see Anwar today.
“Due to the so-called ‘ban’, I was unable to meet Anwar today, and was thus prevented from taking instructions for the hearing of a matter in the Court of Appeal on Monday. This is gross interference and disruption of the judicial process.”
The ban was also a desperate attempt to silence Anwar on the eve of the general election, and “clearly shows fear and desperation on the part of the Barisan Nasional government”, Latheefa said.
The head of the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Prisons Department, Darussalam Budin, said Latheefa was banned from visiting Anwar in Sungei Buloh Prison or anywhere outside, while he is serving his sentence.
“Anwar is currently receiving treatment at the Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital and is only allowed visits by his family but we will allow his lawyers to meet him too, when necessary.
“The relevant regulation under the Prisons Act states that an inmate, even if he is outside the prison walls but is still serving his sentence, is still bound by the Prisons Regulations.
“Prison rules also state that any meeting between an inmate and his lawyer should only be for the purposes of discussing relevant cases,” he said, adding that the ban does not apply to any other lawyer engaged by Anwar.
The announcement comes after complaints about a statement which was released by Anwar to the media last Saturday.
Anwar is serving a five-year jail term at the Sungei Buloh Prison on a conviction of sodomy involving his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. He is expected to be released on June 8, after having completed two-thirds of his sentence in accordance with prison regulations. - Mkini
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