Anwar Lawyers Say Malaysia PM Refuses to Talk

Lawyers for Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said they quizzed Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Friday as potential witnesses in Anwar's sodomy trial but the couple refused to talk.

A Malaysian judge on Monday had ordered Najib and other key witnesses to submit to interviews with the former deputy prime minister's lawyers, but also ruled that they were not required to offer any information.

Anwar, 64, is defending himself against allegations he sodomised a young male aide in 2008, charges he says were concocted by Najib's government to stall an Anwar-led resurgence by the political opposition.

With Anwar present, Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor met briefly with defence lawyers at a courthouse in the capital Kuala Lumpur, Anwar attorney Sankara Nair told AFP.

Sankara described the brief five-minute meeting as "cordial" but quoted Najib saying, "I do not wish to be a defence witness. I do not want to be interviewed. It is my choice."

His wife made the same statement.

"We are saddened that we did not obtain any information," Sankara said.

Anwar, who was once Malaysia's premier-in-waiting, was ousted in 1998 amid a bitter falling out with then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

He was subsequently arrested and convicted on separate sodomy and corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Anwar was freed in 2004 after that sodomy conviction was overturned and sparked the political opposition to make historic gains against the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in 2008 general elections.

However, the new sodomy accusation also emerged that year.

Anwar had been due to take the stand early this week for the first time in the trial.

That was put on hold by Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Zabidin Mohamed Diah's order granting the defence time to interview witnesses such as Najib.

Zabidin said at the time the trial would reconvene on August 15 but Sankara said the judge agreed it would only resume once all interviews are finished.

The former deputy prime minister faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Source : AFP

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