Anwar's star accuser was rewarded with cash, court is told
KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (AFP) - 14:52 - The woman who first accused Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim of sexual misconduct admitted she was paid for fabricating evidence, according to her brother's evidence Friday in the sex trial of the sacked deputy premier.
Defence witness Azmin Ali, Anwar's former political secretary, said his sister Ummi Hafilda Mohamad Ali had told him in 1998 that she was promised money and business contracts to make up evidence against the politician.
Ummi and Azizan Abu Bakar set the Anwar saga in motion when they wrote to Mahathir in August 1997 alleging sexual misconduct by the powerful deputy premier.
Anwar was sacked by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in September 1998 and jailed in April 1999 for six years for abusing his power to cover up those allegations.
In his present trial he faces up to 20 years' jail if convicted of sodomising Azizan, who was formerly the driver for his wife.Anwar says he was framed on all charges as part of a political conspiracy because he intended to expose corruption and was seen as a threat to Mahathir.
Azmin Ali, recounting the alleged conversation with Ummi, said: "She confirmed that she was promised money and contracts to fabricate evidence."As her brother, I advised her to stay away from the conspirators. She told me she can't because she has committed herself and some money has been paid to her."
Judge Arifin Jaka asked lead defence counsel Christopher Fernando whether he would be calling Ummi.
Fernando said Ummi was the star witness and the prime mover in her letter to Mahathir and the prosecution should call her.
Azmin said that at a subsequent meeting with Ummi, she repeated that it was too late for her to withdraw because money had been paid.
"Again, I advised her not to get involved in the political conspiracy against Anwar," he said.
"Later she asked me not to worry because a police officer had told her that Anwar would be charged in court and dissmissed from government and party posts," he added.
Azmin said Ummi confirmed that she was not responsible for writing the letter containing sexual allegations against Anwar which was circulated nationwide.
In answer to another question he said his father, a religious teacher, had disowned Ummi in 1998 because she ran away with a married man and lived with him abroad.
"He could not tolerate her. So he disowned her," he said.
Arifin initially disallowed the question, but Fernando said that since Ummi was the principal accuser, evidence about her character was crucial.
"Ummi is one of the crucial personalities. She is the one who started the whole episode. She wrote the letter to the prime minister. She got around Azizan to write the letter," Fernando said.
"Her credibility is important. It goes to the root of the problem."Azmin said the married man, whose name was not revealed, had apologised to him and his elder brother.
Fernando told the court the reason why Ummi was disowned by her father affected her credibility.
"She is a person who cheats and has slept with a married man," he said.The court was told that Azmin's father had written an open letter stating that he had disowned Ummi and that one of the reasons included her "slanderous" allegations against Anwar.
Azmin also told the court that the then-police Special Branch chief Said Awang in mid-August 1997 had asked him to urge Ummi to retract her sex allegations against Anwar.
The trial resumes Monday when Arifin will hear arguments on whether Mahathir should be made to testify for the defence.
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