Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today claims that sedition charges against his lawyer, Padang Serai MP N. Surendran, affect his right to a fair hearing. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 25, 2014.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today accused Putrajaya of attempting to sabotage his sodomy appeal by charging his defence counsel with sedition.
In a statement, the PKR de facto leader said the sedition charges against his lawyer, Padang Serai MP N. Surendran, had affected his right to a fair hearing.
Anwar's appeal against sodomy charges is scheduled to be heard by the Federal Court on October 28 and 29.
Surendran was charged twice with sedition on August 19 and 28, during Putrajaya's ongoing sedition blitz against various individuals.
Anwar said the sedition cases against Surendran concerned the lawyer’s raising of issues relating to the sodomy appeal.
"The first relates to Surendran's criticism of the appellate court's decision to overturn my sodomy acquittal.
"The second relates to Surendran's claim that there was a conspiracy against me regarding the sodomy case."
In both instances, Anwar said, Surendran was merely raising issues which were part and parcel of his legal defence in the Federal Court appeal.
Anwar said the entire process was nothing but a conspiracy by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to send his political career into oblivion.
"I have no faith whatsoever that justice will prevail in these proceedings despite the valiant efforts of my defence team.
"This is not a criminal trial, it is a charade staged by the powers-that-be to put me out of action so that they can remain in power."
Anwar said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did just that in 1998 when he used all the means of power at his disposal.
"I was convicted and sentenced to jail for 15 years for offences which I had never committed.
"I was convicted and sentenced to jail for 15 years for offences which I had never committed.
"Such was the tyranny and injustice done to me then, and the same is being perpetuated on me today."
Anwar disputed the charges against Surendran, asking how it could be a crime for his duly appointed legal counsel to state his legal defence.
"Words uttered by my lawyer in my defence are now the basis of a criminal prosecution against him.
"This is persecution, it is clearly to intimidate my legal team and obstruct them from carrying out their professional duties and violates my constitutional right to proper legal representation."
Anwar said his appeal would be compromised by the charges filed against his lawyer.
"These charges only serve to confirm the allegation of the conspiracy against me and the belief that the government is determined to imprison me at all cost."
In March this year, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court's sodomy acquittal of Anwar and sentenced him to five years' jail after finding him guilty of sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
- TMI
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