KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 – Saiful Bukhari Azlan said today that he would stick to his accusation that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim had sodomised him.
He said this at a press conference held at his lawyer’s office, in response to his father’s shocking move this morning.
“In the name of Allah, my race and Malaysia, I will not budge from my allegation, the statements I made in court and the religious oath I took in a mosque years back, till my death,” said Saiful.
Also present was his lawyer, Zamri Idrus.
This morning, Saiful’s father, Azlan Mohd Lazim, told in a hastily arranged press conference that Anwar was innocent of the accusation that he had sodomised his son.
The 60-year-old retiree also claimed that Saiful was used by unscrupulous people to further their vile agenda.
Azlan named Zamri and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s special officer Khairil Annas Jusoh as being part of the conspiracy.
He alleged that the press statements he made in the past were scripted by Zamri, under the instructions of Khairil.
A visibly upset Saiful lashed out at Anwar, claiming the latter was using his father to further his political ambitions.
“I warn you [Anwar]. Don’t use my father to twist the truth, no matter how desperate you are.
“But I have faith in Allah. Truth cannot be supressed in any way,” Saiful said, adding that it was the opposition’s attempt to divert people’s attention from the recent foreign armed intrusion in Sabah.
‘Sodomy trial not over’
On his relationship with his father, Saiful said that he was close to his father.
“I was shocked at what happened this morning. My father was cordial towards me and I just spoke to him last night about his cats,” said Saiful, adding that he could not reach Azlan on the phone since this morning.
Saiful, however, said that he has no ill-feelings towards his father and he had forgiven Azlan for the latest happening.
“He’s my father and I will always love him. I pray to Allah that my father will see the truth,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zamri denied Azlan’s allegations that he had scripted the latter’s press statement in the past.
He also questioned Azlan’s intention of holding a press conference arranged by an opposition MP.
“If he [Azlan] was sincere, why not get a neutral person for help? Besides, he had been backing his son all the way since 2008. Why say this now?” asked Zamri.
PKR MP Johari Abdul was present with Azlan at the press conference this morning.
Zamri also reminded that Anwar’s sodomy trial is not over as the Court of Appeal would hear the case on July 22 and 23.
Whether a legal suit would be filed against Azlan for his accusations, Zamri said: “As for his claims against Saiful, I will wait for the latter’s advice but I am thinking about a suit on Azlan’s allegations against me.”
–FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
