MI : Anwar’s appeals delayed further

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s twin bids to strike out his on-going sodomy trial and also get extra evidence have hit a wall, with Feb 12 being the earliest possible date for a hearing.
Lawyer Param Cumaraswamy said today the earliest date for the Court of Appeal to hear Anwar’s appeal against a High Court’s decision not to strike out the sodomy charge is next Friday, Feb 12.
He said Court of Appeal president, Tan Sri Allaudin Mohd Sheriff had promised to set up a panel to review its decision blocking Anwar from getting additional evidence for next week, “on an urgent basis”.
“What we want is to hear the petition quickly,” the senior lawyer told reporters after his meeting with the appellate court chief.
According to Param, Alauddin said most of the judges had taken leave for the Chinese New Year celebrations, which fall on Feb 14.
Param said the Federal Court will inform them of the review hearing date by tomorrow.
Anwar’s sodomy case is now being heard in-camera at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, with testimony from accuser, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
The opposition leader is charged with sodomising Saiful at a condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.