5-year imprisonment for Anwar not grossly excessive

Apex court upheld Court of Appeal's conviction and sentence after considering various factors.

KUALA LUMPUR: The five-year jail sentence imposed on Opposition Chief Anwar Ibrahim for sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan seven years ago, was not grossly excessive, according to the Federal Court.

Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria said the apex court upheld the conviction and the sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal after taking into consideration the seriousness of the sodomy offence and the fact that Anwar had taken advantage of his position as the employer of a young victim.

He said this in a 116-page written judgment made available yesterday.

He alluded to a case law which noted that as sentencing was a matter of discretion, the court hearing the appeal should be slow in interfering with the sentence imposed by the courts below.

In a unanimous decision, Arifin said with regard to the prosecution’s cross-appeal to enhance the sentence, the panel of judges which he led was of the view that the sentence could not be said to be manifestly inadequate that warranted the apex court’s intervention.

Therefore, he said, the court dismissed Anwar’s appeal to set aside the conviction and the jail sentence, and the prosecution’s cross-appeal.

- BERNAMA