Sodomy II: Live Updates

3pm: Anwar Ibrahim’s lead counsel Karpal Singh brings out a copy of Malay daily Utusan Malaysia and says its articles today are tantamount to contempt of court.

2.54pm: The trial resumes.

2.42pm: Anwar Ibrahim’s lead counsel Karpal Singh arrives in court.

2.36pm: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, arrives in court with two of her sisters.

2.30pm: Another unidentified man confronts a police officer and the situation gets slightly tense. The officer walks away, but the man is heard saying: “I’m not afraid of getting arrested. I’ve been arrested many times.”

2.23pm: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail arrive at court, accompanied by their daughter Nurul Nuha. Supporters chant “Reformasi.”

An unidentified man starts chatting with reporters outside of the court lobby. He distributes some leaflets. He claims nobody is “sponsoring” him to speak in public like this and he is only seeking justice for Mohd Saiful Bukhari.

2.20pm: Reporters allowed into the court; trial to continue in open court.

1.30pm: It is believed that during the court’s visit to the condominium, the accused Mohd Saiful Bukhari had re-enacted and demonstrated to the trial judge how the alleged sodomy took place. He had done this at the request of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s lead counsel Karpal Singh.

12.59pm: Anwar, his lead counsel Karpal Singh and trial judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah leave condominium. Trial to resume at 2.30pm.

12.20pm: The press is barred from entering the condominium. Several women from the PKR heckle Saiful there.

11.59am: The convoy reaches the Desa Damansara Condominium where the alleged sodomy took place. Anwar, his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Saiful reach there a few minutes later.

11.49am: The convoy, comprising of 15 cars and two vans, leaves the Jalan Duta Court Complex for the condominium.

11.00am: The sodomy trial held in-camera which actually started at 10.30am is now over.

All parties including the trial judge and both the defence and prosecution teams will visit the Desa Damansara Condominium where the alleged sodomy of Saiful took place.

Deputy head of prosecution (policy) Datuk Nordin Hassan, who confirmed that the in-camera proceedings are over, adds that Solicitor-General Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden applied for all parties to visit the condominium in Bukit Damansara.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial began at the Kuala Lumpur High Court at 10.30am Thursday.

The proceedings are being held in-camera with no member of the public and media allowed into the courtroom.

Continuing with his testimony is accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Anwar arrived at the court at 9.25am while Saiful came at about 9.15am.

About 20 of Anwar's supporters were at the court premises.

Reporters had a hard time getting access to Criminal Court to cover the trial.

Reporters were earlier barred from even taking the lift to the fifth floor of the courthouse.

They had to arrange a briefing with the officer-in-charge of the court Supt R. Munusamy to write down a list of names of print and electronic media.