By Barney Henderson in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia’s opposition leader has appeared in court to face sodomy charges for the second time in a decade and threatened to call the prime minister as a witness.
Anwar Ibrahim, who led his party to record gains in the 2008 election, said the charges were the result of “the machinations of a dirty, corrupt few”.
A 25-year-old former male aide, Saiful Bukhari, accused Anwar of sodomy. He faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted – a ruling that would effectively end the 62-year-old’s political career. Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia.
Anwar’s opposition coalition party poses the biggest ever threat to the National Front, which has ruled the country with an iron fist for 52 years.
Arriving at the court with his wife and two daughters, Anwar said his lawyers intended to call Najib Razak, the prime minister, and his wife as witnesses, claiming they are part of a political conspiracy against him.
“We have evidence that Saiful Bukhari was in the house with Rosmah and met Najib a few days before he lodged the police report,” he said.
The government denies any involvement.
The former deputy prime minister served six years for an earlier sodomy conviction and was freed in 2004 when the ruling was overturned.
The latest charge against Anwar has once again put the Malaysian legal and political system under the microscope.
300 Anwar supporters clashed with police outside the court and rights groups condemned the trial.
“The Malaysian authorities have resorted to the same old dirty tricks in an attempt to remove the opposition leader from politics,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director.
Court proceedings ended early on Tuesday amid a row over defence lawyers’ access to medical evidence.
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