Anwar faces prosecution on sodomy charges

tauringhuang.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysian authorities said Wednesday they will prosecute opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly sodomizing a male aide, complicating his bid to return to Parliament in a by-election less than three weeks away.


Anwar, pictured with his wife, Wan Azizah, is standing for parliament in a by-election later this month.

Anwar accused Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of orchestrating the prosecution to destroy his political comeback, adding that he would hold Abdullah "personally responsible" for political turmoil that could result from a trial.

Police went to Anwar's home and served an order for him to appear Thursday morning in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to face the charge.

It will be the second time in a decade that the former deputy prime minister has been charged with sodomy, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sodomy is illegal even among consenting adults in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

A 23-year-old male aide claimed Anwar had sodomized him in June. Anwarinsists the allegation was fabricated to thwart his plan of seizing power from the government by mid-September. The government denies a conspiracy.

If the court refuses to release Anwar on bail pending a trial, it would prevent him from campaigning in the Aug. 26 by-election for a parliamentary seat that his wife vacated last week. Anwar would still be allowed to contest the seat.

"Tomorrow I'll be charged with a crime I did not commit," Anwar told reporters. "I will fight. I will not allow this cowardly attack to derail (the opposition's) agenda for change."

Anwar said he believed that Abdullah and other government and police officials have pressed for him to be prosecuted despite what he said was a lack of evidence.

Abdullah is "a man under siege, and he sees no way out but to deflect the attention of the Malaysian people with a sham trial against me," Anwar said. "He is burning the forest to save his own tree."

Abdullah was expected to address a news conference later Thursday after chairing a meeting of his ruling National Front coalition.

National deputy police chief Ismail Omar said in a statement that the attorney general's office had decided to charge Anwar after police "completed their investigation into a criminal sex case involving intercourse against the laws of nature."

Anwar said the prosecution was clearly timed to undermine his campaign for the by-election, but he remained confident he would defeat a challenger from Abdullah's ruling coalition.  Watch Anwar speak out against charges to CN* »

tauringhuang.

Analysts have forecast that Anwar will win because the constituency has been his stronghold since the early 1980s, including nearly two decades when he was in the government. He was ousted as deputy prime minister in 1998 and imprisoned over accusations that he sodomized his driver and abused his power to cover up the offense.

A court quashed the sodomy conviction and freed him in 2004, but the corruption conviction barred him from office until April 2008. Anwar denied the charges and has waited since then to re-enter Parliament.

Nearly 58,500 voters are eligible to cast ballots in Permatang Pauh. Nominees will file candidacy papers August 16 and have 10 days to formally campaign, the Election Commission said.

The commission urged both sides to "obey the instructions of the security officials to safeguard public safety and security."

Anwar said he expects the government to spend massive sums bribing voters to defeat him. Authorities have dismissed the claims, saying they are committed to fair elections.


Anwar is at the center of political turbulence that began in March when the ruling National Front coalition retained its power but lost its long-held two-thirds parliamentary majority control of five of Malaysia's 13 states.

The coalition has a 30-seat majority in the 222-member Parliament but Anwar has said he can persuade enough lawmakers to switch sides to bring down the government by September 16.
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