Malaysian prosecutor removed over alleged affair with witness accusing opposition leader

Malaysian prosecutor axed in Anwar’s sodomy trial

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A Malaysian prosecutor who is speculated to have had an affair with the man who accused opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy has been removed from Anwar’s trial in a twist that lawyers warned Wednesday could undermine the prosecution’s integrity.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail was reported as saying late Tuesday that deputy public prosecutor Farah Azlina Latif has been removed not because she is guilty of any wrongdoing, but to protect the credibility of the eight-member prosecution team in Anwar’s trial.

The online Malaysia Today news portal recently reported unsubstantiated allegations of a romantic link between Farah and Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 23-year-old male former aide whose sodomy accusations against Anwar have been dismissed by the opposition leader as a government plot to thwart his political bloc.

“We take it seriously and there is no compromise whatsoever on matters of etiquette,” Gani was reported as saying by the local media. Gani and other prosecutors could not be reached Wednesday for further comments.

Anwar’s lawyer, Sankara Nair, said Wednesday that the defense was shocked by the news and demanded a thorough probe into the alleged affair.

“If there is truth in the allegation, then there will be serious implication on the prosecution’s integrity,” he warned.

Gani has said Farah Azlina was a junior member of the team, and has no access to investigation papers or any confidential information.

The trial is set to resume Aug. 2.

Anwar maintains that the charge against him has been fabricated to end his political career. Prime Minister Najib Razak has denied conspiring against Anwar.

Sodomy is punishable by up to 20 years in prison in this Muslim-majority country, under a law that criminalizes both nonconsensual and consensual anal sex.

It is the second time Anwar, a 62-year-old former deputy prime minister, has been accused of sodomy. A decade ago, he was imprisoned on convictions of sodomy and corruption and spent six years in jail before the sodomy conviction was overturned.