Anwar says police chief with grudge made up evidenceKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (AFP) - Sacked deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday a former Malaysian police chief had given false evidence against him because he bore a grudge over the loss of a lucrative post-retirement job with a gambling firm.Hanif Omar, the then-Inspector General of Police (IGP), had earlier told Anwar's sodomy trial of a conversation with the politician back in 1993. Hanif had said he raised the question of sodomy allegations with Anwar and the politician had replied: "How many people know about this?" Anwar said the question of sodomy was not brought up at the meeting and denied he made such a comment. "This is a recent concoction by Tun (honorific) Hanif. I never heard about this before. This conversation did not take place." Anwar, who is giving evidence designed to show the charges against him stem from a top-level political conspiracy, added: "I'm sure all these matters are being brought out after I was sacked (in September 1998)...and to support what the prime minister has said. "It is a recent concoction to support what the PM alleged as an excuse to sack me, before investigations and charges." Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said he sacked Anwar as finance minister and deputy premier on discovering he was a homosexual. Anwar was jailed in April for six years for abusing his official position to quash allegations of heterosexual and homosexual misconduct. He and his adopted Indonesian brother Sukma Darmawan are now on trial for sodoming Azizan Abu Bakar. In Malaysia, sodomy is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in jail. Anwar said that during their 1993 meeting at his home, Hanif had told him he was assured of support should he decide to contest the leadership of the ruling party with Mahathir. He said the conversation took place a few months before Hanif retired. "It's normal for a high-ranking policeman to be friendly with me with the hope that they will be offered positions in statutory or government-owned companies after they retire." Asked by defence counsel Christopher Fernando why Hanif should give such evidence so many years later, Anwar said the then-police chief held a grudge because he had opposed Hanif's plan to become a director of the gaming firm Genting Bhd after retirement. "It is unfortunate for Hanif to hold a grudge against me. I was sympathetic. I was willing to secure other opportunities for him even though the salary is not 50,000 ringgit (now 13,158 dollars) a month." "The gambling concession comes under my purview (as finance minister at the time). I have to guard my office." Anwar added that by 1998, "the prime minister was personally involved in giving instructions to the relevant authorities and instruments of government, including the police." He said he would elaborate later. Anwar's previous trial heard that the allegations against him of sexual misconduct were made in letters to Mahathir from Ummi Hafilda Ali, sister of Anwar's former political secretary, and from Azizan. Anwar said Wednesday that the police special branch and criminal investigation department investigated the allegations in 1997. He said the then-police chief Rahim Noor had told him there was "absolutely no basis" to the allegations and had made a public statement, reported in newspapers, to that effect. The trial was continuing Wednesday afternoon. It had been adjourned Tuesday afternoon so Anwar, who has complained of violent headaches, could undergo a brain scan at a local hospital. |
