Anwar released on police bail - The Star

PETALING JAYA: Jul 17, 2008

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was released on police bail Thursday morning after having his statement recorded the night before, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said.

He was safely back at his home in Bukit Segambut in Kuala Lumpur by 10.05am, and is expected to hold a press conference at 2pm.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arriving at his home in Bukit Segambut on Thursday morning after being released on police bail.

Anwar's statement was taken down to facilitate police investigations into the report lodged on June 28 by his 23-year-old former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan alleging he had been sodomised by the PKR de facto leader.

"He was arrested yesterday (Wednesday) as he was a suspect, and his arrest was made in accordance with the law," Ismail said.

"Police followed every procedure and had even informed him and his lawyers that the warrant for his arrest had been obtained.
Ismail

"He was treated fairly and according to due process of the law, which included allowing his wife (Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) to visit him at about midnight," he added.

Ismail said police would continue with their investigations.

He also appealed to the public not to speculate and to allow the police to investigate this case as they would any other case.

At a press conference at about 10am, Anwar's lawyers R. Sivarasa and Sankara Nair said that no charges had been levied on the former deputy prime minister at this time.

He will have to report to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Aug 18 however.

They said that Anwar refused to give a DNA sample on Wednesday night because they feared there would be fabrication of evidence, which Anwar had alleged had taken place in the infamous "black eye" incident of nearly a decade ago.

At that time, Anwar was alleged to have committed sodomy too.

He lodged a police report against Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who were the investigating officer and chief prosecutor respectively in that case.