Anwar can attend but cannot participate....

Anwar Ibrahim can be present during interviews of witnesses for the defence case in the sodomy trial, but he cannot participate by asking questions. Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah made the ruling this morning after hearing submissions from the defence and prosecution.

The prosecution in its submission objecting to Anwar Ibrahim's presence during the defence team's interviewing of the 15 witnesses it asked for in the Sodomy II trial said the opposition leader was capable of intimidating the witnesses. Further, the presence of the media might turn the matter into a circus, it cited as among the grounds for its objection to Anwar's presence during the interviews with the witnesses.

The submission was made by DPPs Mohd Hanafiah Zakaria and CK Wong in the chambers of Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

“There is no necessity for the presence of media and reporters during this interview exercise. It is intimidating to the witnesses and the court is not there to protect the witnesses' interests.

“More importantly, it smacks of a lack of bona fide on the part of the defence,” the presecution submitted, adding that the interview exercise could be turned into “a media circus”.

Other grounds the prosecution stated in its objection were that Anwar was capable of asking witnesses to say what he wanted them to say during the interview, and that past events in court indicated that Anwar's counsel were not able to control him.

Justice Zabidin dismissed the objection.

The prosecution had objected to Anwar's presence yesterday, just as interviews were scheduled to be held with former police chief Musa Hassan and former Malacca police chief Mohd Rodhwan Mohd Yusof.

The defence will now be able to interview 10 witnesses today in Anwar's presence, at the Jalan Duta court complex in Kuala Lumpur.

However, the list for today does not include premier Najib Abdul Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor or Musa.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dibenarkan hadir semasa temubual dijalankan dengan saksi bagi kes pembelaan perbicaraan liwatnya tetapi beliau tidak dibenarkan menyoal. Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah membuat keputusan itu setelah mendengar penghujahan kedua-dua pihak pembelaan dan pendakwaan pagi ini. Katanya tertuduh mempunyai hak untuk hadir semasa temubual berkenaan.

Semalam, pihak pendakwaan membantah kehadiran Anwar bagi mengikuti temubual yang dijadualkan dengan bekas Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Musa Hassan dan bekas Ketua Polis Melaka Datuk Mohd Rodhwan Mohd Yusof. Pihak pembelaan sekarang dibolehkan menemubual tujuh saksi hari ini dengan kehadiran Anwar di Kompleks Mahkamah, Jalan Duta di Kuala Lumpur.

Bagaimanapun senarai itu tidak termasuk nama Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, dan isterinya Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor mahupun Musa yang juga antara saksi yang ditawarkan oleh pihak pendakwaan. Isnin lalu, Mahkamah Tinggi membenarkan permohonan tempoh seminggu oleh pihak pendakwaan untuk membolehkan pihak pembelaan menemu bual 15 saksi itu.

Peguam Karpal Singh kemudiannya memberitahu wartawan dengan perintah mahkamah itu, semua saksi perlu hadir ke mahkamah sebagaimana dikehendaki pihak pembelaan.

"Anwar akan hadir sama (semasa temu bual) dan beliau mempunyai hak untuk mendengar temu bual dan pegawai penyiasat (IO) kes ini akan membantu kami untuk mengendalikan temu bual dengan 10 daripada saksi berkenaan sudah berada di sini hari ini," kata Karpal Singh.

Ditanya sama ada pihak pendakwaan telah membayangkan bila Najib dan Rosmah akan ditemu bual, Karpal Singh berkata setakat ini belum lagi namun temu bual berkenaan akan dilakukan sebelum Anwar membela diri pada Isnin (15 Ogos).

source:malaysiakini

Sib baik la Anwar dibisukan...

What a bullshit!! In fact the prosecution is indeed becoming a circus by its own doing in this kangaroo court....

cheers.