Court rejects Sukma's appeal

Court rejects Sukma's appeal

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The Malaysian High Court Saturday threw
out a plea by the adopted brother of Anwar Ibrahim to overturn a
jail sentence imposed for committing homosexual acts with the
ousted deputy premier.

Lawyers of Sukma Darmawan Sasmita Atmadja, an Indonesian-born
interior designer, had filed a special application for habeas
corpus arguing his conviction and six-month jail term were
unlawful.

Sukma, 37, and a Pakistani scientist who wrote speeches for
Anwar, Munawar Ahmad Anees, 51, both pleaded guilty to allegedly
engaging in sodomy with Anwar and were jailed for six months each
on Sept. 19.

Muanawar in a similar application last month, which was also
rejected, accused the police of dragging his confession out of
him through ill-treatment.

Anwar, 51, was arrested shortly after the two men's conviction
but has denied charges of sexual misconduct and corruption
against him, saying they were politically motivated.

Sukma's lawyers contend the sessions court which sentenced him
in September had no jurisdiction over his case because he is a
Moslem and should be dealt with by the Islamic Shariah court
system.