'Something amiss with Saiful's HKL report'

Senior lawyer Karpal Singh raised suspicions that the denial to allow the defence to see the clinical notes of Hospital Kuala Lumpur's examination on Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan indicated "something is wrong".

He felt there might be an attempt to implicate the accused, de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.

This follows Anwar's previous experience during the infamous 'black-eye' incident 12 years ago involving the same government hospital.

NONEThe matter came to light when Karpal (right) applied to have access to the clinical notes as well as the July 10 preliminary medical examination report.

He was refused the former but allowed the latter.
The application for the clinical notes was objected by solicitor-general II Mohd as the documents were not referred to by the prosecution during its examination-in-chief.

This prompted Karpal, who is also DAP chairperson, to say: "We do not want a repeat of the black-eye incident where the doctor, Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof, was asked to do something which he did not want to.

"In that case, Dr Abdul Rahman was asked to testify that Anwar's black-eye injury was self-inflicted. Certainly, we do not want this to happen in this case.

"Anwar can bring its case against the doctor for perjury. A lot of things happen in HKL. Hence, we need the notes to show corroboration."

mohd yusof zainal abidenYusof attacked Karpal for making a political speech and for relying on that incident as a basis to make the application to get the documents.
"He cannot rely on what had happened 10 years ago to make this application."

Karpal argued that the black-eye incident involved HKL, and now with its involvement in the current sodomy case, it indicated that something was wrong.

"This is not a political speech, but the court has to go to the bottom of the matter."

Yusof said the attorney-general was cleared of tampering in the case, but Anwar shouted from the dock: "It's the AG! (Abdul Gani Patail). That's a lie."

An independent investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission following Anwar's report absolved Abdul Gani and former police chief Musa Hassan from being involved in the cover-up.

This was despite the investigating officer in the 'black eye' incident, former senior assistant commissioner II Mat Zain Ibrahim, having alleged that Abdul Gani and Musa were involved in it.

Rahim's assault on Anwar

At the height of the reformasi era in 1998, Anwar was sacked from his deputy prime minister's post allegedly on trumped-up sodomy and corruption charges.

While in detention, he was assaulted by the then inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor.

But initial reports said that Anwar's injuries were self-inflicted, following the HKL doctor's report.

This resulted in Anwar accusing the then prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail, now the attorney-general, of a cover-up.

Subsequently, Abdul Rahim pleaded guilty to assaulting Anwar and was jailed for two months. A royal commission of inquiry was also held.

Following the discrepancy, Anwar lodged a police report accusing Abdul Gani and former IGP Musa Hassan of their role in the cover-up.

Malaysiakini

29/10/10

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