MALAYSIA: Malaysia opposition leader Anwar is held in custody after sodomy complaint

Record ID: 1547524

  • Title: MALAYSIA: Malaysia opposition leader Anwar is held in custody after sodomy complaint
  • Date: 17th July 2008
  • Summary: CHIEF OF KUALA LUMPUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT (CID), MOHD BAKRI ZININ ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Malaysia) CHIEF OF KUALA LUMPUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT (CID), MOHD BAKRI ZININ, SAYING: "The police can confirm that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been arrested on July 16, 2008 at 1pm (0500 GMT)."
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2008 11:50
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Malaysia
  • Country: Malaysia
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVACYFGKML390N3Z4S1ELDVPATNI
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Malaysian police arrest opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and remand him in custody, an hour before he was due to meet them following a sodomy complaint by a former aide.
    Scores of Anwar loyalists staged a noisy protest outside the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Wednesday (July 16) after hearing their leader had been arrested by the Malaysian police and was remanded in custody The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief, Mohd Bakri Zinin confirmed the arrest was made at 1pm (0500gmt) near Anwar's house, and that the arrest was made in accordance with Malaysian law.

    "The police can confirm that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been arrested on July 16, 2008 at 1pm (0500 GMT)" he said.
    In a news conference on Tuesday (July 15), the police chief had advised the former deputy premier to voluntarily arrive at the police headquarters by 2pm (0600 GMT) at the latest on Wednesday to explain a sodomy complaint lodged by a former aide, failing which he would face arrest.
    Anwar's lawyers had said that he had planned to go to the police for questioning as asked, but the arrest had come about an hour before that.
    With concern over Anwar's safety and well being, angry opposition lawmakers including Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail were seen arriving at the police compound.
    Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the president of the Justice party.
    Asked to comment on the arrest, veteran politician Lim Kit Siang told reporters: "I think is a shocking, highly provocative; especially Datuk Sri Anwar had said he would here at two o'clock. I think this creates a public doubt whether they could be, trust the police for their independence and professional action but we will see."
    Gobind Singh Deo, a member of parliament and a lawyer said the police cannot simply arrest anyone on the street without proper procedures and he is determined to get Anwar out of police custody,
    "Now we are concern about Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim and as far as we are concern, I have seen him, he is in good spirit and he is prepared to assist and we hope by end of today, Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim will walk out from this police station," he said to the applause of Anwar's supporters.
    Anwar was later sent to the hospital for a medical check-up.
    Anwar, who is leading a charge by the opposition to seize power by September, is fighting the sodomy accusation, in a replay of scenes from a decade ago when when he was jailed for sodomy and corruption and his political rise was snuffed out.
    Anwar's supporters have cast the sodomy allegation as an attempt by premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government to prevent the opposition from gaining ground.
    The arrest is likely to spark more tremors in financial markets, which have groaned under the weight of a protracted political drama that includes allegations of sex and murder against a senior government politician.
    Malaysia's ringgit currency <MYR=> weakened to 3.2230 to the dollar at mid-afternoon from 3.2160 on Tuesday. The stock market <.KLSE> was down nearly one percent at 1,119.48 points.
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