KUALA LUMPUR: The court in the politically charged sodomy trial of Malaysia’s opposition leader on Thursday visited the apartment where a former aide says Anwar Ibrahim coerced him into sex — a charge the defendant says is part of a high-level conspiracy.
Prosecutors also submitted security footage that they said showed the young man was in the building when he claims.
This is the second sodomy trial against Anwar, a crime that also carries a social stigma in the Muslim-majority country.
Earlier Thursday, the jury heard more lurid sex allegations as 24-year-old Saiful Bukhari Azlan testified for a second day behind closed doors. After hearing Saiful’s testimony, the judge, lawyers from both sides, Anwar and his accuser went in a convoy to the condominium in the upscale neighborhood of Damansara in Kuala Lumpur where the sodomy is alleged took place. The judge plans to return to the condominium on Friday to complete the inspection.
Prosecutors also submitted video from a closed circuit camera showing Saiful entering and leaving an elevator twice at the condominium. The date on the video is June 26, 2008, when Saiful says he was sodomized by his former boss, 62-year-old Anwar.
Saiful lodged a police report two days later. The prosecution says it plans to submit semen samples taken from Saiful’s body to prove Anwar is guilty.
Anwar has consistently denied the sodomy charges, saying it was a conspiracy by Prime Minister Najib Razak to prevent him and his opposition coalition from seizing power.Anwar’s People’s Alliance made huge gains in the March 2008 general elections at the expense of Najib’s National Front coalition, which has been in power since independence in 1957.
