Putrajaya, March 7 – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today was sentenced to five years’ jail by the Court of Appeal here after the court found him guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, five years ago.
Justice Datuk Balia Yusof Wahi, who led a three-man panel in hearing the prosecution’s appeal in the case, however, granted Anwar’s application for a stay of the sentence pending appeal with bail of RM10,000.
Justice Balia ordered Anwar to pay the bail this Monday before 11 am.
During the proceedings, the court was disturbed by Anwar’s supporters who made noise and shouted in court resulting Justice Balia warning them to stop it.
In overturning the High Court’s decision in acquitting Anwar, Justice Balia said the panel unanimously held that the trial judge had erred in his findings that the integrity of DNA samples used in the case had been compromised.
Anwar was charged with sodomising Mohd Saiful, 23 (then), at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara between 3.10 pm and 4.30 pm on June 26, 2008.
Anwar’s counsel Karpal Singh, speaking to reporters later, said that with this ruling, Anwar could not file his nomination papers for the Kajang state seat by-election this Tuesday.
– Bernama
