Digest on Malaysian News

The alleged affair between Farah Azlina Latif and Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan has thrown a spanner to the prosecution work in the current trial of Anwar Ibrahim sodomy case.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants his second sodomy charge to be struck out, following allegations that deputy public prosecutor Farah Azlina Latif and Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the complainant and chief witness in the case, were having an affair.

Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh told the High Court on Monday that he had filed an application for Anwar’s charge to be struck out at the High Court Registry.

He claimed that the integrity of the prosecution team led by Solicitor-General (S-G) II Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden had been compromised as a result of the alleged affair, and that Mohd Yusof should “take the blame”.

“Farah would have been privy, of course, as part of the prosecution team, to investigation papers.

“There is a strong likelihood of Saiful had access to all documents, including the statement by Datuk Seri Anwar,” he said, adding that both would have committed an offence under Section 8(1) and (2) of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972, as investigation papers were classified under the act.

He said that as such, the charge against Anwar ought to be struck out by the court.

Section 8(1) relates to any person who has in his possession or control any official secret, and communicates it, while Section 8(2) relates to any person who receives any official secret.

At about 11am, Anwar lodged a police report against Farah Azlina and Saiful, claiming that they had committed an offence under the act.

“There has also been no denial on this allegation so far by either the Attorney-General, Farah or saiful.

“Now they have the opportunity to reply to the affidavit,” Karpal said.

He also said that the alleged affair was a matter for the Syariah courts to look into.

Mohd Yusof, however, argued that they were “bare allegations without any substance”.

When asked by the press later if the prosecution was denying the allegations, he asked a question in return: “Do they (the defence) have personal knowledge of this?”

On July 27, A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail confirmed that Farah Azlina was dropped from the prosecution team in Anwar’s second sodomy trial.

Farah Azlina was also dropped from the Prosecution Division of the A-G’s Chambers for the same reason.

Anwar, 63, had claimed trial to sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful, 25, at Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

The case had opened Monday to hear the cross examination of Hospital Kuala Lumpur general surgeon Dr Mohd Razali Ibrahim, who is the second prosecution witness in the case.

However, Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah fixed Aug 9 to hear and dispose of the striking out application first.

Source: TheStar

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