Courtroom clashes mar Anwar trial<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Defense lawyers clashed with the judge and
\nthe prosecution on Wednesday as they were blocked from posing
\nquestions to a witness they said would unveil a conspiracy to
\noust Malaysian deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Augustine Paul refused to allow lawyers in
\nAnwar's corruption trial to ask a prosecution witness whether the
\nformer deputy premier's sacking was approved by the king as
\nrequired under Malaysian law.<\/p>\n
\"The defense of the accused is there was a political
\nconspiracy to bring the charges. We say these are trumped up
\ncharges to remove the accused and to destroy him politically,\"
\nlead defense lawyer Christopher Fernando told the court.<\/p>\n
Anwar has denied 10 charges of corruption and sodomy brought
\nafter his sacking as deputy premier and finance minister on Sept.
\n2 by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.<\/p>\n
Justice Paul said Fernando's question to Alias Ali, deputy
\nsecretary of the cabinet in the prime minister's department in
\ncharge of keeping personal records on cabinet ministers, was
\nirrelevant.<\/p>\n
\"There's a relevance because it is part of a conspiracy to
\nbring about these charges and a conspiracy to remove him from the
\npositions he held,\" Fernando argued.<\/p>\n
\"We will endeavor to show that the witnesses, the crucial
\nwitnesses of the prosecution, will give perjured evidence. In
\nother words, they will be lying in court.<\/p>\n
\"If you don't allow us to ask these questions, you will
\ndeprive us of a fair opportunity to get to the truth of it.\"<\/p>\n
Fernando's comments brought a sharp response from chief
\nprosecutor, Abdul Gani Patail, who accused him of politicking.
\n\"The defense is going into a political speech. That should be in
\nparliament. Counsel should not abuse its position in court,\" he
\nwarned.<\/p>\n
The judge agreed, refusing to allow the question.<\/p>\n
Anwar's trial on four charges that he used his high position
\nto stamp out a police investigation into sex charges against him
\nentered its eighth day Wednesday, with five new witnesses
\nincluding Alias and two police officers called to the stand.
\nSo far, only seven out of 52 witnesses have testified.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a message by Anwar was posted on the Internet on
\nWednesday, charging that Mahathir would impose a state of
\nemergency on Malaysia once next week's APEC summit is over.<\/p>\n
In his longest statement since he was arrested nearly two
\nmonths ago, Anwar said Mahathir, 73, \"survives only because he is
\nable to use the instruments of government to create a climate of
\nfear.<\/p>\n
\"Eventually in a desperate bid to remain in power, he will
\ndeclare a state of emergency. The hints are already there,\" the
\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, who has been in office for 17 years, defended the
\nsacking of his former protege.<\/p>\n
\"I felt he was not compatible for the role he is going to play
\nas premier,\" Mahathir told Cable News Network in a live interview
\nlate on Tuesday. \"This moral issue we cannot accept.\"<\/p>\n
U.S. President Bill Clinton and Canadian Prime Minister Jean
\nChretien have both refused to hold the traditional one-on-one
\ntalks with Mahathir when they arrive next week for the annual
\nmeetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.<\/p>",
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