Anwar's Defense Nixed
Ousted deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, on trial for sex and corruption charges, was barred on Tuesday from using his main defense, that the charges are part of an alleged government plot to ruin him.
High Court Judge Augustine Paul ruled that Anwar and his lawyers should confine their defense to proving that he never abused his powers to cover up alleged sexual trysts.
"Evidence of political conspiracy, if any, is irrelevant," Paul ruled. "The issue of political conspiracy is too remote."
Anwar is accused of engaging in illegal sex, including sodomy and adultery, and abusing his power to cover up his actions. He was sacked by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in September and arrested two weeks later.
Mahathir claimed Anwar, who he had chosen as his eventual successor, was morally unfit to lead this predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian nation.
Anwar claims he is a victim of a political conspiracy led by aides to Mahathir, who he said were behind a hate letter sent to Mahathir in 1997 that formed the basis of the charges against him.
Anwar testified that police investigations showed that Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin, Consumer Affairs Minister Megat Junid, and Mahathir's political secretary Aziz Shamsuddin schemed to have the letter sent. Anwar said Mahathir learned of the plot.
Anwar, who began testifying in his defense on Monday, said the police had discovered "this grand design of some political personalities out to finish me."
"They pressed upon me that the involvement of Daim, Megat Junid and Aziz Shamsuddin -- who are known to be confidants of the prime minister -- would certainly complicate their investigation," Anwar said.
Anwar's lead attorney, Raja Aziz Addruse, protested the judge's decision to bar conspiracy testimony.
The prosecution's case is based mainly on testimony by the author of the 1997 letter, Ummi Hafilda Ali, the sister of Anwar's personal secretary. She alleged that Anwar committed adultery with the personal secretary's wife.
Anwar is accused of using police intimidation to try to force Azizan and Ummi to withdraw their charges.
The current trial, which began three months ago, centers on four corruption charges. Anwar faces an additional corruption charges and five sex charges at another trial.
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