PUTRAJAYA, Oct 31 (Bernama) — Hearing of PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s final appeal to overturn his conviction and five years’ jail sentence enters its fourth day today with the prosecution to start submission to counter the defence’s argument.
The five-member Federal Court panel chaired by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria fixed the hearing of the appeal until Monday.
Lead prosecutor Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah yesterday said that he would be arguing the issues raised by the defence alone.
The defence had concluded its argument after three days of submission before the panel, which also comprised Court of Appeals President Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif and judges Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Embong, Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar and Datuk Ramly Ali
The court heard submission from Anwar’s lead counsel Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram and co-counsel N. Surendran, Sangeet Kaur Deo and Ramkarpal Singh.
Among others, the defence questioned the existence of KY Jelly, a lubricant used in the alleged sodomy act and the DNA identity of ‘Male Y’ found in the complainant’s rectum, which they claimed were rarely touched at the lower courts (High Court and Court of Appeal).
The appeal, which was initially fixed for two days from Oct 28 to Oct 29, has been extended for five days and expected to end on Monday.
On March 7, the Court of Appeal sentenced Anwar, 67, to five years’ jail for sodomising Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 27, at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
The charge, under Section 377B of the Penal Code, carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years, and whipping, upon conviction.
— BERNAMA
