Saturday, 09 March 2013 09:41
SODOMY
II "EVIL CONSPIRACY": Anwar thanks Saiful's father but says NO
DIFFERENCE to him
Written
by Maria Begum, Malaysia Chronicle
Opposition
Leader Anwar Ibrahim thanked the father of his sodomy accuser for revealing
that it was a conspiracy concocted by those close to Prime Minister Najib Razak
in a bid to stop his political advance.
"Frankly, there is not much
difference to me. The courts have already acquitted me. But I thank him,"
Anwar told Malaysia Chronicle at the sidelines of a mammoth political
rally held in Penang on Friday.
Azlan Mohd Lazim, the father of
Saiful Bukhari, had told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur that Anwar was
innocent and that his son had been used as part of an "evil
conspiracy" to slander the Opposition leader.
“I deeply regret all the slander
hurled against Anwar which involved my son, Saiful Bukhari. Anwar is innocent
and a victim of this slander. I apologise to Anwar and his family. He and his
family have suffered a lot as a result of this slander,” Azlan had said.
Connection to Najib
According to the 60-year-old Azlan,
all of his media statements as well as Saiful's were prepared by a lawyer and
an official from the PM's office.
“They are the masterminds behind all
the sodomy slander against Anwar, which involved my son. I have never been
contacted by any quarters to obtain my statement as his father from the
beginning to the end of the trial,” said Azlan.
He also said Saiful never told him
of the sodomy and that he had learned about it from the government-controlled
mass media. Neither has the government - the police or the Attorney-General
Chambers - met him or asked for his opinion about the sodomy case.
All eyes are now on the identities
of the lawyer and the official in the PM's office who had allegedly directed
the Sodomy II script.
Saiful denies father's
claim
Despite the infamy the case has
brought to Malaysia, with international tycoons like Richard Branson condemning
the government's persecution of Anwar, the Attorney-General has appealed the
acquittal, arguing that Saiful was entitled to justice.The appeal is due to be
heard on July 22.
Azlan has said he does not plan to
urge his son to withdraw the appeal or to drop any charges.
“It is up to my son to evaluate the
situation and decide for himself. I do not want to comment on the court case
(Court of Appeal) which is still ongoing... but what I revealed today is on
voluntary basis,” said Azlan.
Meanwhile, Saiful has denied his
father's admission.
“No, as I mentioned earlier no.
There is no political conspiracy in this,” Saiful, who previously as a staffer
in Anwar's office, told a separate press conference.
Malaysia Chronicle
