Anwar: It confirms plot to frame me

Source: Malaysiakini

PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim today said that the leaked medical report of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan confirmed that the sodomy allegation made against him was baseless and politically motivated.

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Over 40 minutes, he told a packed press conference at the party's headquarters in Petaling Jaya this morning that the Hospital Pusrawi (Pusat Rawatan Islam) medical report on Saiful proved that his 23-year-old ex-aide was an "outright liar".

"The hospital report leaked yesterday confirms our contention that the allegations levelled against me are baseless and politically motivated and that the complainant is an outright liar working hand in glove with those in power to assassinate my character," claimed Anwar.

"This report makes a mockery of the so-called ‘impartial police investigations' and clearly shows the dubious but persistent attempts to incriminate me by whatever means employable," he added.

‘A case where none exists'

The opposition supremo - accompanied by lawyers and PKR leaders - also questioned why the police overlooked the medical report during its month-long investigation.

"The failure of the police to disclose this medical report all but confirms their intention to frame me," he said, adding that his refusal to submit a new DNA sample has been "vindicated" with the discovery.

"Although quite apparent even before yesterday, their desperate attempt to collect a new DNA sample is now even more clearly a last ditch effort to build a case where none exists," argued the PKR leader.

"From the beginning the police were aware of the report. How (did they) proceed with this case? (By) insisting that I was stripped naked (for examination), ambushed and arrested me, kept me for the whole night in the lock-up - when they are privy to this critical piece of information?"

With the revelation, Anwar urged the police to stop its investigation on the matter and hand over the investigation paper to the Attorney-General's Chambers to wrap up the case.

"With this evidence, it's the end (of the case)," he said, adding that he has more important things to tend to, such as taking part in a by-election that might send him back to Parliament.

Leaked report is 'authentic'

The PKR leader was also asked why Saiful would visit a doctor who subsequently negated the sodomy claim if it was a carefully plotted conspiracy - as alleged by Anwar - by his political rivals.

"You should ask (Saiful)... It's a conspiracy that is not very intelligently hatched," he quipped.

A leaked medical report revealed that a thorough medical examination on 23-year-old Saiful found no evidence of sodomy four hours prior to the lodging of a police report against Anwar on June 28.

He was examined by Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid, the medical officer on duty at Hospital Pusrawi.

Anwar said he was convinced that the medical report was authentic and that he has also sought other doctors' view on the matter.

"So far nobody has challenged that. From the Malaysiakini report as you have seen yesterday, (Hospital) Pusrawi took back the report saying that ‘it's ours', they have never denied (the report)," the opposition leader pointed out.

Anwar's lawyer, Sulaiman Abdullah (photo, far right) who was present at the press conference, described the police's immediate reaction to the medical report's release yesterday as "interesting" given that they did not questioned its authenticity.

"They merely talked about (how the report is a) sabotage to the police investigation, they have not alleged that the report has been fabricated," said the veteran lawyer.

Ensure that the doctor is safe

Anwar also expressed his concern for doctor Mohamed Osman, whose whereabouts are unknown at the moment as he has taken leave since last week.

He called on the authorities to ensure the doctor's safety and security. Anwar however denied knowing Mohamed Osman personally or having met him before, as he only came across the doctor's name for the first time when he read the medical report yesterday.

With the latest development, Anwar described that he and his family "breathed a deep sigh of relief" and "felt a great burden lifted from our shoulders".

"My family and I have endured a great deal during the last month. Our fears of a repeat of the trauma and abuse inflicted upon us in 1998 were bearable only with the tremendous outpouring of support from our friends in Malaysian and throughout the world," he said.

Among those present today included Anwar's wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PKR leaders Syed Husin Ali, Azmin Ali and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, PAS leaders Kamaruddin Jaafar and Dr Hatta Ramli.

R Sivarasa and Sankara Nair - two other lawyers representing Anwar - also showed up.


Watch 9-min video of Anwar's press conference