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Anwar's lawyers turn fire on Malaysia's attorney general

Demanding that sodomy charges against Anwar be dismissed, lawyer Karpal Singh said attorney-general Mohtar Abdullah was taking orders from his political bosses and had shown bad faith.

"The attorney-general is expected to act honestly and with conscience. Why is he acting like this? He is under pressure. I know who he is coming under pressure from. I won't mention who the person is." Karpal said.

Karpal said the attorney general had acted on "inconsistent statements" from Anwar's former driver Azizan Abu Bakar and amended the date of alleged sodomy offences from May 1992 to between January and March 1992.

"It is clear he (Azizan) has made a false statement. Azizan ought to have been charged for making a false statement during police investigation," Karpal told the high court.

"Why isn't he charged? This is one instance of mala fide where action should have bene taken but no action is taken.

"The amendments to the charge shows that the prosecution is wavering at different points," he added.

Anwar, 51, who was sentenced in April to six years in jail for corruption, returned to the dock last week to face a charge of sodomy with his former driver Azizan Abu Bakar.

Anwar, who was heir apparent to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad until he was fired in September last year, on June 10 filed an affidavit to dismiss the sodomy charge against him after the date of the alleged offence was amended for the second time.

Karpal is the lawyer for Anwar's Indonesian adopted brother Sukma Darmawan, who is jointly charged with two sodomy-related charges.

Karpal said the sodomy trial was an abuse of power by prosecutors and in particular Mohtar, who is heading the prosecutor's team but was not present in the court.

Karpal, who is also an opposition lawmaker, said Azizan had told the court during Anwar's corruption trial he was not sodomised by Anwar between 1992 to 1997.

"In face of this evidence under oath, the charge amounts to persecution of the highest order," he said.

"It only takes a very unstable person to launch the prosecution, it clearly shows negligence on the part of attorney-general. I still say there is mala fide."

After hearing Karpal's argument Judge Ariffin adjourned the trial and later told the court the trial was postponed until Wednesday.

Earlier Anwar's lawyers failed in a bid to have incriminating statements made by investigating police officer Musa Hassan and a former tennis partner struck from the court register.

The statement from the former tennis partner, Solaimalai Nallakaruppan, said he had introduced women to Anwar in 1997.

Following differences over economic policy, Mahathir dismissed Anwar and had him expelled from the ruling party in September last year.

After leading the biggest anti-government protests in Malaysia in decades, Anwar was arrested as a threat to national security.

In Malaysia, sodomy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and whipping for those aged below 50.

The hearing continues Wednesday.