KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today defied a police summons to appear at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters at 2pm for questioning over the sodomy report made against him by a former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
His lawyer Sankara Nair said in a statement today that on Saturday (July 12), after Anwar had voluntarily agreed to present himself at the appointed date and time, the police in contravention of the voluntary agreement, went about "harassing and intimidating his staff members and family members the next day", in attempting to serve an order under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
"This was totally unnecessary, given that we were all in an unconditional agreement, in advance, that our client will appear at IPK KL at 2pm today. Our client has duly protested the uncalled-for behaviour of the police and have sent a letter indicating the same, to the police at 5pm on Sunday," said Nair who had sent to the Press a copy of his letter addressed to CID director Commissioner Datuk Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin.
The letter said on Saturday morning, one DSP Jude Pereira had contacted Nair to ask Anwar to be at the police headquarters on Sunday for the statement-taking.
It said after Nair discussed with Anwar, who was then in Penang, it was agreed that Anwar would present himself to the police at 2pm Monday.
However, it said at 9.30pm that day, DSP Jude went to Anwar's house in Segambut Dalam and tried to serve an order under Section 11 of the CPC to an occupant, an action that Nair protested as an oral agreement had already been made.
The letter said at about noon on Sunday, a team of policemen went to Anwar's house again and "harrassed" his family to accept the order although it was addressed to Anwar. When it was declined, the policemen refused to leave the house, causing the family to feel fearful and intimidated.
The letter stated that Anwar would present himself to the police only if the intimidation stopped.
It added that Anwar would be at the Anti-Corruption Agency on Wednesday to give a statement on his report alleging fabrication of evidence in the 1998 black-eye incident.
In an immediate response, Mohd Bakri said police neither received a letter from Anwar nor his lawyers notifying investigators that he will not turn up for questioning today.
He said police did not receive any such letter as claimed by Anwar.
He added that with Anwar's no show for the questioning, police will have to resort to three other options in accordance to the law to compel him to turn up.
Although when asked by reporters, he declined to state what are the options, he agreed that a warrant of arrest was one of them.
"He was supposed to come for questioning today but he did not, so the due process of the law has to take place. We gave him a chance and space to turn up." he said
Mohd Bakri declined to comment further on the case except that investigations are ongoing.
The Sun
15/07/08
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