Anwar Sodomy Trial: 'Several contradictions in doctor's declaration'

2008/08/09

By : Lee Shi-Ianshi

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have begun investigations into a statutory declaration purportedly made by Dr Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid of Hospital Pusrawi.

Dr Mohamed Osman, a Myanmar national, was questioned by police in the course of investigations as he had examined Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who had accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of sodomising him.

Federal CID director Datuk Bakri Zinin, in a statement yesterday, said police were verifying the authenticity of the statutory declaration made by Dr Mohamed Osman.

"There are several contradictions and errors in the statutory declaration that police are concerned about," he said.

The declaration appeared in an online report titled "What the IGP and AG do not know... yet" on Thursday.
"We strongly believe that this article is intended solely to skew public perception and to undermine police authority," Bakri said.

He said police could not disclose more information as Dr Mohamed Osman was a witness in Anwar's sodomy trial.

Dr Mohamed Osman examined Mohd Saiful just hours before the sodomy complaint was lodged on June 28.

It was reported that Mohd Saiful was then referred to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

It was also reported that police had questioned Dr Mohamed Osman on three occasions in relation to the sodomy allegations.

On Aug 1, however, Dr Mohamed Osman had allegedly filed the statutory declaration.

But to date, the doctor has not come out in public to reveal the contents of the sworn document.

On July 28, Dr Mohamed Osman's notes on the examination of Mohd Saiful were leaked on the Internet.

Hospital Pusrawi then denied that Mohd Saiful had been examined for sodomy.