Friday 26 Apr 2024
By
main news image

PUTRAJAYA: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will know the verdict of his sodomy appeal on Feb 10, the Federal Court registry said via Twitter yesterday.

On Jan 10, Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria said a notice would be sent to parties at least two weeks before the court delivered its judgment. Arifin led a five-man bench to hear the appeal which started on Oct 28 and ended on Nov 7.

Arifin was previously quoted by Bernama as saying while judges were expected to complete their decision within three months, the Court of Appeal and Federal Court may take up to six months, if a case was complex.

On March 7, the Court of Appeal overturned the Jan 9, 2012, High Court decision in acquitting Anwar on a charge of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

He was found to have committed the offence at a unit of the Desa Damansara condominium in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

The three-member Court of Appeal panel chaired by Datuk Balia Yusof Wahi sentenced Anwar to five years of jail, but granted him a stay on the sentence pending his appeal to the Federal Court. Anwar is now on RM10,000 bail in one surety.

The prosecution also filed a cross appeal to enhance his jail term, which could be up to 20 years.

Anwar’s political career as an elected representative will end as he will be disqualified from office if he is fined more than RM2,000 or jailed more than a year and does not received a free pardon. 

Responding to the news, Anwar expressed confidence that he will be acquitted by the Federal Court. “Based on the arguments raised by my defence team, I am confident I will be acquitted. This is according to the details of the facts presented before the Federal Court,” Anwar said in a statement.

He confirmed receiving information that the Federal Court would announce its verdict on his sodomy appeal on Feb10, and added that he would pray to ensure justice would be upheld. — The Malaysian Insider

 

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 27, 2015.

      Print
      Text Size
      Share