Anwar faces sodomy charge before Malaysia poll

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 6 (PTI) Malaysian authorities
prepared to prosecute opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for
alleged sodomy charges, a move seen as an attempt to sabotage
his bid to enter parliament in a by-election this month.
Police Wednesday served a subpoena on Ibrahim, a
former deputy prime minister, in connection with the alleged
sodomy charges, which the People's Justice Party advisor said
were a conspiracy against the popular leader.
Ibrahim has been asked to be present at the Kuala
Lumpur Session's Court Thursday.
Jude Peraira, the police official who served the
subpoena, did not explain the contents of the subpoena nor the
purpose of Ibrahim's presence at the court.
Meanwhile, the New Straits Times newspaper said police
had completed its investigation on the alleged sodomy report
involving Ibrahim and had forwarded the investigation papers
to the Attorney-General's office for advice and decision.
The Attorney-General's office has decided to charge
Ibrahim in court, the statement said.
The opposition leader is expected to be charged either
under Section 377A or Section 377C of the Penal Code. Section
377A covers carnal intercourse against the order of nature and
carries a maximum of 20 years' jail and whipping. Both the
sections are non-bailable offences. However, the court has the
discretion to grant bail.
It will be the second time in a decade that the former
deputy prime minister has been charged with sodomy. A court
quashed the sodomy conviction and freed him in 2004.
Nomination for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary
by-election will be held August 16 with polling on August 26
in the event of a contest.
The Malaysian parliamentary seat of Permatang Pauh was
vacated by Ibrahim's wife Wan Aziza, who is also the People's
Justice Party president. She won the seat by a wide margin in
the March 8 general elections.
Opposition leader Ibrahim represented the
Malay-majority seat for four terms before his 1998 arrest and
subsequent imprisonment. Since then, Azizah has been the
member of parliament for the constituency.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim told a press conference Wednesday
that the by-election campaign will not be derailed even if he
was denied bail.
He said he had evidence to prove his innocence,
accusing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of orchestrating
the prosecution to destroy his political comeback.