Defence counsel Christopher Fernando said the office of Aziz Shamsuddin, who at the time was political secretary to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, was the "nest of the conspirators."

Fernando, making closing defence submissions in the marathon trial, said witnesses against Anwar in this hearing and his previous trial had been bribed with money, contracts or plum jobs.

"These are tainted witnesses," he said, of businesswoman Ummi Hafilda Ali and Azizan Abu Bakar -- who set the saga in motion when they wrote to Mahathir in August 1997 accusing Anwar of sexual misconduct.

"They were bribed and they had to carry out what they were paid to do ... they cannot be expected to tell the truth."

Anwar, sacked by Mahathir in September 1998, is already serving a six-year jail term imposed in April 1999 for abusing his powers to cover up the allegations made in the letter.

He could face another 20 years if convicted of sodomy but says he is the victim of a conspiracy because he intended to expose corruption and was seen as a political threat to Mahathir.

Anwar, 52, and his adopted brother Sukma Darmawan, 39, are charged with sodomising Azizan between January and March 1993. Azizan was then a driver for Anwar's family.

Fernando said Raja Kamaruddin, a former branch chief of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), had testified that Aziz Shamsuddin was one of the main conspirators.

He had given evidence that he and four others had been recruited by Aziz, to set up an operations centre and send all bills to Aziz who told them that money was no problem.

"Imagine the vast resources the conspirators have control of, to destroy and annihilate (Anwar)," Fernando said.

He said Raja Kamaruddin also told the court he was ordered to prevent Anwar from becoming premier and to ensure all Anwar's supporters were ousted before the UMNO annual assembly in 1999.

Kamaruddin testified that before Ummi and Azizan sent their letter to Mahathir, Aziz scanned through it and distributed copies to smear Anwar.

"Aziz, like Azizan, was also rewarded for what he did," Fernando said. "He was made a deputy minister without having to contest the (November 1999) election." Aziz is now deputy education minister.

Fernando also recalled the evidence of Azmin Ali, the brother of Ummi Hafilda and Anwar's then-private secretary.

Azmin had testified that Ummi told him she had been promised money and contracts to fabricate evidence.

"She (Ummi) was the prime mover of this despicable episode that brought untold suffering and humiliation to both Anwar and Sukma and their family and friends," Fernando said.

"She was motivated by her greed for money and projects. Ummi Hafilda was an active player in this conspiracy. Here was the most wicked, obnoxious and corrupt person."

The lawyer said Azizan, from being a mere driver, was offered a job as a sales executive with a development firm and promoted to manager during the course of this trial -- "a clear case of bribery."

But Azizan, said Fernando, had wrestled with his conscience.

He said Azizan, asked by the defence if the reason he continued visiting Anwar up to 1997 was because he had not been sodomised, had replied "Yes" three times.

The lawyer said the "unrelenting effort to procure fabricated evidence" had spread to the United States.

Jamal Rahman, who previously provided limousine services to the Malaysian embassy in Washington, has testified he was promised money by a diplomat if he accused Anwar of making sexual passes at him.

"For generations to come, Malaysians will have to live down the shame if the prosecution asks that both the accused be convicted," Fernando said.

The trial continues Wednesday.