Sacked Anwar says he will fight charges

Sacked Anwar says he will fight charges

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia's sacked deputy prime minister said Thursday he had been framed in a "larger political conspiracy" and vowed to fight all charges against him.

Anwar Ibrahim said allegations of sexual misconduct and leaking state secrets were fabricated by the camp of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to undermine any challenge to the PM's 17-year leadership of the Southeast Asian nation.

"This is an unjust administration," Anwar, who was also dumped as finance minister Wednesday, told hundreds of supporters and journalists at his private residence.

"If the number two man cannot be sure of justice, then I'm sorry for Malaysia."

He called the allegations against him -- from corruption, to spying for foreign powers, even sodomy and murder -- part of a "larger political conspiracy."

Anwar, 51, was fired unceremoniously Wednesday evening after months of bitter political differences with his one-time mentor, Mahathir.

The firing came a day after Mahathir imposed rigid currency controls, virtually isolating the Southeast Asian country from the global free-market system.

It also comes just as Malaysia prepares to host the 16th Commonwealth Games and welcome Queen Elizabeth II for an official state visit later this month.

The Supreme Council of the ruling United Malays National Organization met Thursday night to discuss Anwar's position in the party. Anwar is UMNO vice president, though it was likely he would be stripped of the post.

It appeared that some of Anwar's allies were abandoning him. The leader of the UMNO youth wing, once seen as Anwar's power base, announced Thursday they stood by Mahathir.

Anwar, a conservative Muslim and the father of six children, said he had undergone DNA testing to prove his innocence in an apparent paternity suit.

He said Mahathir threatened to get prostitutes to testify against him.

"I told him, 'If that's the game you want to play, I can also line up prostitutes,"' who would make the same allegations against other ministers, Anwar said.

Malaysia's Inspector General of Police Rahim Noor said Anwar was under investigation on charges contained in a book that has widespread allegations about sexual misconduct.

On Thursday, Rahim filed an affidavit at the High Court in the case of S. Nallakaruppan, who has been detained on weapons charges. Nalla, as he is known, is Anwar's tennis partner and in the book is alleged to have arranged the minister's sexual trysts.

In the document, Rahim said that Nalla was "believed to have access to national secrets through Anwar and he likely could leak these national secrets."

The document also said Nalla's alleged activities with regard to Anwar "could expose the nation's leadership to evil influences within the country and outside the country which could jeopardize national security."

The affidavit said that Nalla and Anwar could face charges under the Internal Security Act, the Official Secrets Act, the Women and Girls Protection Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The authors of the book, "50 Reasons Why Anwar Shouldn't Be Prime Minister," are currently being tried for defamation.

Anwar, who hugged his wife, Aziza, as she stood next to him during the news conference, said he expected to be arrested and would fight to prove his innocence.

"I have enough documentary evidence, tapes, statutory declarations under oath that would defend and establish my innocence," he said, adding that his associates and family had been harassed by the police.

Anwar, for years seen as Mahathir's successor, had been left out of economic decisions for months after differing with his boss on the course for economic recovery.

Malaysia's currency, the ringgit, and the markets have plummeted since the Asian economic crisis broke out in July 1997. The country's economy, which boasted 8 percent growth for last decade, formally went into recession last week after its economy shrank another 6.8 percent.