Malaysia's Anwar says he's victim of dirty conspiracy

Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, facing a fresh sodomy scandal, accused the national police chief and the attorney general Tuesday of fabricating evidence against him in his previous sodomy trial in 1998.Â

 

Anwar, who is seen by many as a future prime minister, filed formal complaints against Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan and Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail at a police station in Shah Alam, a Kuala Lumpur suburb.

 

He demanded an "immediate and transparent investigation" into the two officials, saying they are unlikely to be neutral while investigating the new sodomy accusation against him because of their alleged role in his old case.

 

The new allegation, made by a 23-year-old worker in his office, was part of a political conspiracy by the government to thwart his political career and to "cause anxiety and disgust among Muslims" against him, Anwar said to reporters.

 

Denying that he had any relations with the man, the 60-year-old Anwar said: "I can tell you this is a conspiracy. I have all the evidence and alibis to support me."

 

"This government and this leadership is under siege," Anwar said after filing the police report. "I would advise them to drop the case. It is frivolous. No way I am going to give them an easy route this time. I am going to fight every inch of the way. This is a second round of a dirty conspiracy," he said.

 

Musa was the investigating officer and Abdul Gani the senior prosecutor when Anwar was tried for allegedly sodomizing his driver and an aide while he was deputy prime minister and finance minister in 1998.

 

There are no laws against homosexuality in Muslim-majority Malaysia but sodomy, even if consensual, is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

 

Anwar insists he was innocent and that he was framed because he challenged then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for power. Mahathir fired him when the sodomy accusation surfaced, and handed him over to police.

 

While in custody Anwar was beaten up by then police chief Rahim Noor. In his police complaint, Anwar said Musa and Abdul Gani fabricated a medical report to disprove that he was beaten up by Rahim - who later pleaded guilty.

 

The two officials were not immediately available for comment.

 

Malaysia’s highest court overturned the sodomy conviction in 2004. By then Anwar had formed an opposition party that, in coalition with two other parties, made spectacular gains in March 8 general elections.

 

The results left the ruling National Front coalition reeling with a thin 30-seat majority in the 222-member Parliament, its worst performance in its history. Anwar has claimed he can convince more than 30 National Front lawmakers to defect, which would topple Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s government.

 

Abdullah’s government denies it is using dirty tactics against Anwar.

 

"There has never been political motivation at all. Never crossed our minds," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said to reporters.

 

Although Anwar’s sodomy conviction was overturned, he could not free himself from a related abuse of power conviction, which resulted in him being banned from holding political office.

 

That ban expired in April, a month after the general elections were held. He can re-enter Parliament through a by-election if a colleague vacates his or her seat.

 

By law, Anwar has to be a lawmaker before he can take the prime ministers job.

 

Anwar said he had originally planned to announce on Tuesday details of where he will contest a by-election.

 

"This has been derailed for a few days" because of the sodomy accusation, he said.

 

Anwar is married to his Peoples Justice Party president, Azizah Ismail, who is a Member of Parliament. The couple has six children, including a daughter who also is a lawmaker.

 

Photo: AFPÂ