Wednesday, July 2, 2008

PM: Anwar has no reason to fear

The Star : Wednesday July 2, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has no reason to fear for his safety as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has given the assurance for his security.
Abdullah said the laws of the country guaranteed the safety of both Anwar and the person who had accused him of sodomy.

“We want to ensure the safety for whoever is involved in the case, whether it be the accuser or the accused,” he told a press conference after his meeting with PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar at Parliament House yesterday.

Abdullah said that during the meeting, Dr Wan Azizah had asked him to ensure the safety of her husband and that he would not be ill-treated.

He said Dr Wan Azizah had also voiced concerns over any role Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail had over the case as both had been involved in the last sodomy case against Anwar in 1998.

“I explained that both the IGP and the A-G are good people. They are professionals who carry out their responsibilities well.”

Asked if a police report lodged by Anwar against Musa and Abdul Ghani earlier yesterday would necessitate them being removed from any probe, Abdullah said their role in the investigations at present had not yet been determined.

“What I have been made to understand from the police is that the investigation will be conducted by the criminal division and to be headed by a senior officer,” he said.

“So far, I have not heard of any decision from them. Perhaps on the role of the IGP, this will be decided by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.”

Abdullah said that at present, there was no need for a commission to probe into the case as requested by Wan Azizah.

Asked if Dr Wan Azizah had in the meeting called for charges against her husband to be dropped, Abdullah said he could not recall.

“She mentioned that her husband’s safety be assured. At the same time, there shouldn’t be any injustice or false allegation,” he added.

Asked if this was an attempt by PKR and the Opposition to politicise the situation, Abdullah said this would seem likely as there was a lack of evidence and that any complaint so far had not involved actual facts.

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