Tuesday, July 1, 2008

TUESDAY-1 JULY 2008- ANWAR EMERGES FROM TURKISH ENVOY'S HOUSE


Anwar emerges from Turkish envoy’s house

KUALA LUMPUR:


Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Advisor and de facto Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim Monday left the Turkish Ambassador’s residence, where he fled following an accusation of sodomy, after the Government guaranteed his safety. Anwar, a former Deputy Prime Minister, was seen leaving in the evening from the diplomat’s residence where he had sought refuge on Sunday in the wake of a police report lodged by an aide that he (Anwar) had sodomised him. Anwar, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, emerged from the residence at 6.45 pm in a black multi-purpose vehicle. Also accompanying Anwar were his lawyer Sankaran Nair, family members and several supporters. Sankaran Nair was seen arriving at the residence of the Turkish Ambassador, Barlas Ozener, at 6.15 pm. He was joined by Wan Azizah and PKR Vice-President Azmin Ali at 6.40 pm. Azmin, when approached by reporters, said Anwar was not satisfied with the assurance on his safety given by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a news conference at Parliament House earlier yesterday. However, Anwar decided to leave the Ambassador’s residence after Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar issued a statement on his safety assurance which was sent to the Turkish Embassy. Before he was driven off, Anwar met reporters who had waited outside the residence from early morning. Anwar said he left the residence of the Turkish Ambassador after an assurance on his safety given by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim was faxed to the Turkish Embassy in the evening. Besides, an assurance on his safety given by Syed Hamid was delivered to his lawyer at Parliament House in the afternoon and a loose assurance was given by Najib, he said. “I was apprehensive of the loose assurance given by the Deputy Prime Minister because it is the level of police security that I question,” he said. According to Anwar, most of the policemen discharged their duties professionally and he claimed that he only disputed the police higher-ups. “Now that there is ploy, I will provide the evidence and I will expose it,” he said. Asked whether he would offer his cooperation to the police investigations into the sodomy allegation, Anwar said: “I will offer my cooperation to the police probe ... but for what investigations? An investigation with evil intentions? They are just making up the facts, and this includes the police and the prosecutors.” He claimed that the allegation was designed to destroy his political career. “This week (on Tuesday) I was to announce my decision to contest a by-election,” he said. Anwar also claimed that four Barisan Nasional (BN) Members of Parliament, two of them from Umno, would join the Pakatan Rakyat. “It was for this reason that they took such action (to link me to sodomy) to prevent these things from taking place. It was for this reason that they made up this thing (allegation),” he said - Bernama

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