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Prosecutors Drop Five Charges Against Anwar
SUNGAI BULOH PRISON, Malaysia, May 12 (News Agencies) - Malaysian prosecutors Saturday withdrew all five outstanding criminal charges against opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim, during a court hearing at the prison where he is already serving a 15-year term.
State prosecutor Azhar Abdul Hamid told the high court they were dropping the four charges of sodomy and one charge of corruption. He did not give any reasons.
"I shall make an order of acquittal and discharge against Datuk Seri [honorific] Anwar Ibrahim on all the five charges," said Judge Augustine Paul.
The ex-deputy premier, who is suffering from a slipped disc, appeared in the makeshift court in a wheelchair.
Authorities shifted the hearing to the jail just northwest of Kuala Lumpur after doctors said a journey to the city center courthouse would aggravate his condition.
"It was a pleasant surprise but I would have preferred to face it [charges]," Anwar, 53, told reporters as he was wheeled back to his cell, surrounded by armed guards.
He said prosecutors dropped the charges to deny him a chance of again airing his allegations of a political conspiracy in open court.
Anwar was previously jailed for six years for abuse of power and nine years for sodomy after lengthy and controversial separate trials. The sentences will run consecutively.
Saturday's decision does not affect those cases, which are under appeal.
"I thank Allah for the result of the charges," he said in a statement distributed by his lawyers.
"As I said before from the beginning all these are trumped-up charges which have been fabricated as part of the political conspiracy.
"So the withdrawal is nothing but a charade. They knew that had they proceeded with the five charges this would have afforded me another forum to expose the conspiracy," Anwar added in his statement.
Anwar says he was framed on all charges, including those on which he has been convicted, to avert a political challenge to veteran Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Mahathir denies interfering in the courts and says he sacked his former heir apparent in September 1998 for immorality.
"Anwar has always maintained his innocence," said his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. "The prosecution does not want to be embarrassed further by these five charges."
Wan Azizah said there was already a public outcry at the original sentences. Bringing further charges would have been "politically damaging" to the government.
Mahathir's ruling party lost 22 seats in the November 1999 election, partly due to anger at the treatment of the charismatic politician.
Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the opposition Democractic Action Party (DAP) welcomed the decision and called for Anwar's pardon and freedom.
"For the past three years, the Anwar trials have caused a trauma on the political and national psyche," he said, in a statement.
Lim said the ball is in Mahathir's court as to whether he could envisage and affect a new start for Malaysia, beginning with the pardon for Anwar.
Lead defense lawyer Christopher Fernando told reporters: "I think it was a wise and responsible move because there is absolutely no evidence to convict Anwar on the five charges."
Anwar was sacked as deputy premier and finance minister on September 2, 1998. He was arrested 18 days later after leading mass anti-government protests.
On September 29, 1998, he appeared in court - sporting a black eye inflicted by the then police chief - and was charged with five counts of corruption and five sodomy offences.
In April 1999, he was convicted of four counts of corruption and jailed for six years. The appeal court rejected his appeal and a further plea to the federal (highest) court is pending.
In August 2000, Anwar was convicted on one count of sodomy and jailed for nine years, with the sentence to start after he finished his six-year term.
The appeal court has yet to hear that case.
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