Acquittal or jail? Come Tuesday (Feb 10) Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who was convicted by the Appeals Court of having sodomised his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan will know whether he will be spending time behind bars or walk free.
This will be answered on Feb 10 as the Federal Court will announce the much-awaited verdict on Anwar's final appeal against his conviction and five-year jail sentence for sodomising Mohd Saiful, seven years ago.
One of Anwar's lawyers, Ramkarpal Singh Deo, when contacted by Bernama, said the defence team "was confident that the verdict will be in their client's favour".
Asked whether the defence would file a review against the apex court's ruling if Anwar lost in his final appeal, Ramkarpal said it all depended on the grounds of the judgment, which they would need to study first before deciding to file a review.
Rule 137 of the Federal Court Rules 1995 allows the losing party to seek a review of a Federal Court decision.
Although the Federal Court has the jurisdiction to review its own decision to prevent injustice and abuse of the court process, generally this will only be exercised in very exceptional circumstances.
Lawyer Zamri Idrus, who is holding a watching brief for Mohd Saiful, said he left it to the court's discretion in making the ruling based on the authorities cited during the submissions and evidence presented in court.
On Nov 7, last year, a five-member panel of the Federal Court led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria reserved its decision after hearing submissions from Anwar's 15-strong defence team led by lawyer Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, a former Federal Court judge.
The team also included three children of the late lawyer Karpal Singh who was leading Anwar's defence team in the case until his untimely death on April 17, 2014. The senior lawyer was killed in a road accident in Perak.
They are Ramkarpal Singh Deo, Sangeet Kaur Deo and Gobind Singh Deo while senior lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah led the prosecution team.
The other four judges on the panel were Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif and Federal Court judges Tan Sri Abdull Hamid Embong, Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar and Datuk Ramly Ali.
The hearing of Anwar's appeal which was initially set for two days from Oct 28, 2014 dragged on for eight days as the defence and prosecution presented lengthy submissions and many legal cases were cited.
The highest court in the country will make its ruling on whether to allow or dismiss Anwar's appeal to set aside his conviction and jail sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal on March 7 last year, after it had overturned a High Court decision to acquit him.
If Anwar loses his appeal, he will be disqualified as the member of parliament (MP) for Permatang Pauh as per Article 48(1)(e) of the Federal Constitution, which states that an MP would be disqualified if he or she is
sentenced to a jail term of more than a year, or fined more than RM2,000.
The prosecution has also filed a cross-appeal to enhance the jail sentence.
However, the matter will only be heard if the Federal Court upholds the decision of the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal had found Anwar, 67, guilty of having sodomised Mohd Saiful, 27, at Unit 11-5-1 of Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara, here, 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.
A total of 27 prosecution witnesses including star witness, Mohd Saiful, and eight defence witnesses including Anwar testified in the trial that took almost three years at the High Court which received attraction worldwide.
On Jan 9, 2012, the High Court acquitted and discharged Anwar of the charge on the grounds that the court could not be 100 per cent certain on the integrity of samples taken for DNA testing from the alleged victim.
The court had ruled that the samples could have been compromised before they reached the Chemistry Department for analysis.
However, the Court of Appeal in convicting Anwar on the sodomy charge, held at the trial judge had erred in his findings about the samples which were based on the evidence of two expert witnesses called by the defence.
This is the second sodomy case against Anwar. In the first case, he was found guilty of having sodomised his family's driver, Azizan Abu Bakar, at Tivoli Villa, here, in 1994, and was sentenced to nine years' jail by the High Court on Aug 8, 2000.
The High Court had ordered Anwar to serve the sentence after the completion of his six-year jail term for corruption. He was found guilty on four charges of corruption on April 4, 1999.
However, after spending nearly six years in jail for corruption, Anwar was released on Sept 2, 2004 as the Federal Court, led by Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad who went on to become chief justice, overturned his conviction and set aside the jail sentence on the charge of having sodomised Azizan, in a 2-1 majority decision.
Abdul Hamid and Judge Tengku Baharudin Shah Tengku Mahmud ruled in Anwar's favour while Judge Datin Paduka Rahmah Hussein dissented.
However, Abdul Hamid, who wrote the majority judgment, said the judges found that Anwar and co-accused Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja "were involved in homosexual activities" and that the judges were inclined to believe that the alleged sodomy did take place.
Bernama
Sun Feb 08 2015
The highest court in the country will make its ruling on whether to allow or dismiss Anwar's appeal to set aside his conviction and jail sentence.
Sabah pantau kesan letusan Gunung Ruang, keselamatan rakyat diutamakan - Hajiji
Kerajaan Sabah akan memantau kesan letusan gunung berapi Gunung Ruang di Indonesia dan menegaskan bahawa keselamatan rakyat menjadi keutamaan.
AWANI Borneo [18/04/2024] – Letusan Gunung Ruang | AirAsia tawar perubahan penerbangan | Draf MoU bakal dirangka
Laporan berita padat dan ringkas dari Borneo bersama Jasmine Abu Bakar
#AWANIBorneo 12 April 2024
Letusan Gunung Ruang: MET Malaysia sahkan kualiti udara Sabah, Sarawak masih selamat
AirAsia kembali aktifkan beberapa penerbangan
Kerajaan secara dasar setuju salur peruntukan kepada wakil rakyat pembangkang.
#AWANInews
#AWANIBorneo 12 April 2024
Letusan Gunung Ruang: MET Malaysia sahkan kualiti udara Sabah, Sarawak masih selamat
AirAsia kembali aktifkan beberapa penerbangan
Kerajaan secara dasar setuju salur peruntukan kepada wakil rakyat pembangkang.
#AWANInews
18 projek tindakan atasi isu bekalan air
Kerajaan Sabah bertekad untuk terus menangani isu bekalan air di negeri itu selain memperkasa perkhidmatan sistem pembentungan.
Ratusan penumpang terkandas di KLIA
Tinjauan di Lapangan Terbang Kuala Lumpur (KLIA)Terminal 1 mendapati ratusan penumpang terkandas kerana tidak dapat menaiki penerbangan ke Sabah dan Sarawak.
Sheriff: Tayangan awal raih lebih RM1 juta
Filem arahan Syafiq Yusof, Sheriff telah meraih kutipan melebihi RM1 juta pada tayangan awal pada 17 April di pawagam.
Malaysia Airlines tawar pilihan kepada penumpang terjejas
Untuk meminimumkan kesulitan yang disebabkan oleh pembatalan yang tidak dijangka, Malaysia Airlines menawarkan pelanggan yang terjejas perubahan satu kali pada jadual perjalanan mereka secara percuma, atau memilih bayaran balik penuh tanpa mengira keluarga tambang mereka.
AirAsia sediakan pilihan kepada penumpang
AirAsia akan menyediakan pilihan kepada penumpang yang penerbangannya dibatalkan akibat letusan Gunung Ruang di Kepulauan Sulawesi Indonesia.
Kualiti udara Sabah, Sarawak masih selamat - MET Malaysia
Impak letusan Gunung Berapi Ruang di Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia setakat ini masih belum menjejaskan kualiti udara permukaan di Sabah dan Sarawak.
Jabatan Metereologi Malaysia (MET Malaysia) dalam satu kenyataan pada Khamis berkata, letusan tersebut, yang berketinggian 725 meter dari paras laut, bagaimanapun telah menjejaskan operasi penerbangan di dua negeri tersebut.
Jabatan Metereologi Malaysia (MET Malaysia) dalam satu kenyataan pada Khamis berkata, letusan tersebut, yang berketinggian 725 meter dari paras laut, bagaimanapun telah menjejaskan operasi penerbangan di dua negeri tersebut.
Stoking kalimah Allah: Wai Loong dituduh semula, mengaku tidak salah
Lelaki yang membuat kenyataan jelik berhubung isu stoking dengan kalimah Allah, dituduh sekali lagi, atas satu pertuduhan yang sama.
Bunuh jurutol wanita: Bekas mekanik terlepas hukuman mati, digantikan penjara 35 tahun
Seorang bekas mekanik terlepas daripada tali gantung selepas Mahkamah Persekutuan menggantikan hukuman mati yang dijatuhkan terhadapnya dengan penjara 35 tahun dan 12 sebatan.
Tun Musa individu teguh prinsip, integriti - PM Anwar
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menyifatkan bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tun Musa Hitam sebagai sosok yang teguh dengan prinsip dan integriti.
Sanusi jumpa Anwar 4 Mei, akan suarakan 'wishlist' Kedah
Menteri Besar Kedah, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor memaklumkan bahawa akan mengadakan pertemuan rasmi dengan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pada 4 Mei depan.
200 ulama nusantara dijangka hadiri Persidangan Ulama Sedunia Mei ini
Seramai 200 ulama nusantara dijangka hadir Persidangan Ulama Sedunia yang akan diadakan di Petaling Jaya, Selangor pada 7 dan 8 Mei ini.
Mengenang Joseph Kurup: Jasa mendiang pasti dikenang negara, rakyat - PM Anwar
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menyifatkan jasa mendiang Tan Sri Joseph Kurup ketika menjadi menteri di peringkat Persekutuan dan negeri, akan dikenang rakyat dan negara.
PM hulur sumbangan tampung kos perubatan adik Tasnim
Perdana Menteri menyerahkan sumbangan bagi menampung kos perubatan adik Tasnim Al-Ulya Amali Mohammad Raji yang hilang upaya kekal.
Kelantan hargai kesediaan kerajaan Persekutuan bantu tangani krisis air- MB
Kerajaan Kelantan menghargai kesediaan Kerajaan Persekutuan dalam membantu menangani krisis bekalan air di negeri ini.
Mesyuarat dijangka bincang isu peruntukan ahli Parlimen pembangkang petang ini
Kediaman rasmi Perdana Menteri menjadi tumpuan apabila Mesyuarat Majlis Pimpinan Tertinggi Sekretariat Kerajaan Perpaduan dijangka berlangsung.
Majlis sambutan Aidilfitri Madani 2024 di tujuh negeri, bermula esok di Johor
Majlis Sambutan Aidilfitri Madani 2024 bersama Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan diadakan di tujuh negeri, bermula dengan Johor, esok.
Malaysia rangka Pelan Strategik Semikonduktor pacu pelaburan - Anwar
Satu pelan strategik semikonduktor akan dirangka secara menyeluruh menerusi MITI bagi memastikan Malaysia terus kekal sebagai destinasi pelaburan terpilih bagi industri strategik itu.
'Jika SPRM ada bukti tunjuklah' - Tun Mahathir
Dr Mahathir berkata, setakat pengetahuannya, beliau tidak pernah disiasat tetapi notis SPRM menyatakan bekas Ahli Parlimen Langkawi itu melakukan kesalahan.