|
Malaysia's Anwar fit to leave hospital, trial expected
Wednesday
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (AFP) - Malaysia's jailed former deputy premier
Anwar Ibrahim -- who says he has been poisoned with arsenic -- is fit
enough to leave hospital, a press report said Saturday.
A defence lawyer told AFP that his sodomy trial would probably resume
Wednesday.
The trial was adjourned September 10 after lawyers for Anwar, who is
already serving a six-year term for abusing his official position, said
tests showed he was suffering from arsenic poisoning and someone might be
trying to murder him.
The court ordered a medical examination and tests. Anwar returned to
court Monday but the trial was again postponed Tuesday after doctors said
he was suffering from "tension headaches."
"He's well to go. We've finished examining him," National University
Hospital director Khalid Abdul Kadir was quoted as saying by The Star
newspaper.
Anwar was supposed to be discharged this weekend but the hospital would
let him stay on since his lawyers wanted him to be discharged to the court
and not to prison, Khalid added.
The defence lawyer said Anwar should not be taken back to prison until
the court had obtained a medical report from the hospital to determine
whether he had been poisoned with arsenic.
"The hospital must submit a report to the court on the results of the
medical tests before the status quo changes," he told AFP. "It is the
court which sends him to hospital, it is the court that must decide what
to do with him."
The lawyer, who declined to be named, said he visited Anwar at the
hospital on Friday.
"He looks okay but his hair is still dropping (out)," he said. "We
expect his trial to resume on Wednesday."
Anwar, sacked and arrested in September last year, was jailed in April.
He says he is the victim of a top-level political conspiracy. Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad has called the poisoning allegations ridiculous.
Authorities Friday tightened restrictions on Anwar's hospital visitors.
They told the hospital to seek permission from prison authorities before
allowing visitors and warned that it should take full responsibility if
anything were to happen to him there.
Anwar is being guarded at the hospital by 12 prison guards round the
clock, officials said. | 