Malaysia's current finance minister a corrupt womaniser: AnwarKUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (AFP) - Malaysia's sacked deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim Monday accused the current finance minister of corruption and sexual misconduct, saying Daim Zainuddin had "squandered billions" in the past and flown women into the country in his private jet.Giving evidence on the second day in his sodomy trial, Anwar made further allegations to show "bad blood" between him and Daim -- whom he accuses of conspiring to frame criminal charges against him. Anwar, sacked as finance minister and deputy premier in September 1998, was jailed for six years in April for using his official powers to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct. He says he is the victim of a top-level conspiracy. He is jointly on trial for sodomy with his Indonesian adopted brother Sukma Darmawan and faces up to 20 years' jail if convicted. His lawyers plan to call Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to the stand Thursday but Anwar and Sukma must complete their testimony first. On Friday Anwar accused Daim of conspiring with Attorney General Mohtar Abdullah to bring him to court after he threatened to expose graft. Daim was government economic adviser and then special functions minister last year before succeeding Anwar as finance minister. Anwar also said he had drawn cases of corruption involving cabinet ministers to Mahathir's attention shortly before he was sacked. Asked Monday what Mahathir's reaction had been, Anwar replied: "The prime minister felt uneasy and was angry when I repeatedly raised the allegations." The prosecution objected to the evidence but lawyer Christopher Fernando told the court: "We want to show how things were festering until finally it boiled over, leading to fabricated charges being thrown at Anwar." Judge Arifin Jaka ruled evidence of a conspiracy to oust Anwar was irrelevant. "What is relevant is conspiracy to fabricate evidence to say he committed sodomy." He told Anwar: "You have a lot of grouses against the PM but this is not the platform." Anwar said he met Daim two to three days after seeing Mahathir. Daim told him he had had a further meeting with Mohtar, who is prosecuting in the current trial. "He (Daim) again advised me to resign to avoid any embarrassment to me and my family but I objected very strongly. "I asked him why he has the audacity to fabricate such malicious lies about my alleged corruption and sexual misconduct when it is public knowledge that he has squandered billions from the country and has been using his private jet to bring in women from abroad, using his VIP status to bypass customs and immigration." Arifin ruled Daim's alleged misconduct was irrelevant to the case. Asked about other clashes between them, Anwar said that as finance minister he helped procure for Daim a licence to own a bank overseas. He gave no details. "There is an understanding that once you have a bank overseas, you do not disturb the financial institutions here but he reneged on the understanding and wanted to buy a bank here." Anwar said he initially did not approve Daim's plan to acquire the local Hock Hua Bank "but subsequently approved on the instructions of the prime minister." He said Daim wanted to change the local bank's name despite central bank objections and "I subsequently approved it because of the prime minister's intervention." Arifin then ruled enough evidence of "bad blood" with Daim had been given and told defence lawyers to "adduce specific evidence to show he fabricated the (sodomy) charge." Anwar also told of a bid to oust him during the annual assembly of Mahathir's United Malays National Organisation party in June 1998. He said a book entitled "50 Reasons Why Anwar Should Not Become PM" was distributed to delegates. It portrayed him as "a human being who is most despicable." "The aim is to tarnish my image and try to topple me ... I felt disgusted but not surprised," he said. Anwar then complained of a headache and was sent for a hospital check-up. The trial will resume Tuesday. |
