http://www.mysinchew.com/node/22099?tid=14
Malaysia Clears Top Cop, Lawyer Of Political Plot
2009-03-11 16:51
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's government cleared the police chief and attorney
general Wednesday (11 March) of accusations that they conspired against
opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim ahead of trials that led to his imprisonment
a decade ago.
The decision dashes Anwar's bid to bolster his claim that he was framed on
charges of corruption and sodomy in a high-level political plot following
his ouster as deputy prime minister in 1998.
Anwar's accusation against the two officials, made last July, was also
considered an attempt to cast doubt on the credibility of authorities after
he faced a new charge of sodomy last year. Anwar is scheduled to go on trial
in July on a charge of sodomizing a male former aide.
Nazri Aziz, the minister in charge of legal affairs, said an independent
panel of ex-judges found no basis to Anwar's claim that Inspector General of
Police Musa Hassan and Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail fabricated medical
evidence while Anwar was in police custody in 1998.
At that time, Anwar had been ousted from the Cabinet and was subsequently
convicted of corruption and sodomizing his former family driver. He was
imprisoned through 2004, when a court overturned the sodomy conviction.
After his release, Anwar stitched together an opposition alliance that won
an unprecedented 82 of 222 seats in Parliament in general elections last
March.
Anwar claims the latest sodomy charge is meant to stem the opposition's
threat to the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who
is being forced to step down following pressure by government officials.
Abdullah will hand power to his deputy, Najib Razak, on 3 April, the
Malaysian Insider news Web site reported Wednesday. Abdullah's aides said
they could not immediately confirm the report by the site, which is run by
political pundits close to Abdullah's administration.
Abdullah is expected to retire in late March or early April, but he has so
far not publicly announced a date. (AP)
____
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=395374
March 11, 2009 15:43 PM
Gani, Musa Innocent In Anwar's 'Black Eye' Incident - Panel
PUTRAJAYA, March 11 (Bernama) -- A three- member independent panel acting as
deputy public prosecutors, found that Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Abdul
Gani Patail and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Aman did not
fabricate evidence in the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim "black eye" incident in
1998.
"After studying the case carefully and in depth, Tan Sri Abdul Gani and Tan
Sri Musa did not commit any criminal offence as alleged by Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim," said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in a
statement today.
As such, the MACC chief commissioner also found no criminal case against the
two.
The independent panel comprised two former Federal Court judges and a Court
of Appeal judge, Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, Datuk Wira Mohd Noor Ahmad and
Datuk Mohamad Noor Abdullah, who were appointed as DPPs in the case by the
Solicitor-General.
Anwar had in July last year, alleged that Abdul Gani and Musa had fabricated
evidence or information pertaining to the assault on him, giving him a black
eye, by the then IGP Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor while in police custody in
1998.
The statement said MACC viewed seriously Anwar's allegation that the
commission failed to act against the AG and IGP after he lodged a police
report.
Following this, MAAC (which was then known as the Anti-Corruption Agency -
ACA) carried out a two-month investigation from July 2, 2008, with Abdul
Gani and Musa as the prime subjects of the investigation, which recorded
statements from witnesses including Anwar himself.
Taking into consideration that this was a sensitive, high-profile and
public-interest case, the MACC proposed the setting up of an independent
panel with the three members acting as DPPs to look into the case, the
statement said.
Meanwhile, in the Dewan Rakyat today, Minister in the Prime Minister's
Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the panel members did
not discuss the case among themselves and dealt with it professionally and
meticulously.
"Majority-wise, the panel found that the AG and IGP did not commit any
criminal offence in the case as alleged," he said in reply to a question
from Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong).
Mohamed Nazri said two of the three panel members cleared Abdul Ghani of any
wrongdoing while all the members made the same decision on Musa.
"I am not able to say here who had agreed or disagreed (with regards to
allegation against Abdul Ghani)," he said, adding that the panel's decision
took time to be announced as several factors had to be considered.-- BERNAMA
____
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/99970
AG, IGP 'cleared' in black-eye case
Rahmah Ghazali and S Pathmawathy | Mar 11, 09 11:18am [extract]
[...]
One panel member found case against AG
Nazri said the authorities required "ample time to make the decision public
so that it would not be doubted by some parties".
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) then questioned Nazri as to who had made the
final decision, since the investigation had been conducted independently.
"Let's say one of them decides that the AG is guilty. In that case, who
makes the final decision?" asked Lim.
Nazri explained that the decision was made based on the majority view, and
in this case, all three members had found no case against the IGP, and only
one had found a case against the AG.
He however refused to divulge further details.
[...]
____
http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2009/03/10/anwar-ibrahim-an-interview-in-malaysia/
Anwar Ibrahim, an Interview in Malaysia
10 Mar 09
By Dinda Elliott
What is it that makes some people so courageous, willing to risk everything
for something they believe in? I am asking myself this question, thinking
about how we Americans take so much for granted in the freedoms we enjoy
every day.
In the cool, high-ceilinged villa that is home to Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's
former deputy prime minister, who spent six years in solitary confinement
after challenging then prime minister Mahathir Mohammad, the drone of
Islamic music fills the living room. The Anwar family is religious-his wife
and daughters, now both politicians in their own rights, proudly wear
tudongs, Malaysian headscarves reflecting Islamic modesty-and I figure the
music is part of the Muslim atmosphere of their daily lives. But I am a
little worried that my tape recorder will not pick up Anwar's soft voice
above the din. I have waited ten years for this interview.
As Hong Kong bureau chief for Newsweek magazine, I had covered the
anti-corruption and reform movement Anwar launched in 1998. Before he went
to jail, I had interviewed Anwar and gotten to know him a little bit.
Through secret channels, I was able to publish a letter from Anwar in prison
when Newsweek named him "Asian of the Year." Or rather, I should say Anwar
found a way-and dared-to sneak a letter to me.
I ask Anwar how he survived six years in solitary confinement. "It wasn't
easy," Anwar replies. The worst moment, he says, was when his mother died.
He just stared and stared at the wall, not knowing what to do. Mahathir had
ordered to have cameras installed just outside his cell to prevent guards
from chatting with him. Nonetheless, sympathetic guards would shout to the
clinic down the hall that Anwar had a headache so that he could have some
human contact. There, he tells me, he saw a young Indian man who had been
severely caned for a simple theft. "As a politician, I used to say to people
'I feel for you,'" Anwar says, "but after prison, when you have seen
something like that, it is very different. Yes, I feel other people's pain."
Halfway through our talk, Anwar stands up to turn off the music, which has
reached a louder pitch. "Even here, we always have to keep on some music,
because you know," he says, pointing to the ceiling, "there is always
someone listening." Right now, Anwar is facing more charges-the second time
the government has gone after him for alleged sodomy. The case has been
kicked up to the high court, and Anwar says he may well go back to jail.
But the anti-corruption movement he launched has taken on steam. Last year,
the opposition to the coalition that has ruled Malaysia for 50 years won
five states out of 13, and the ruling coalition lost its two-thirds
majority. Things have gotten vicious of late, as the ruling elite, widely
considered to be extremely corrupt, fight to hold onto power. Most
Malaysians think that is the reason the new case has been raised against
Anwar. "Yes, they would like to get rid of me," says Anwar. "But I believe
we will prevail."
There are certainly Malaysians who are suspicious of Anwar, arguing that he
is a slick politician just like the rest of them. But like him or not, this
man has more courage than I can possibly imagine. Yes, he is a politician;
but at least he has a vision of a different, clean Malaysia. And Anwar is
willing to risk everything for the sake of that goal.
Further reading:
* "Sexual Politics, Malaysia Style": The first charges again Anwar Ibrahim
http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/blogs/80days/2009/03/sexual-politics.html
____
Full circle for Azizah
http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2009/03/09/full-circle-for-azizah/
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