November 12 , 1998 18:28PM
 OPERATION
TO ARREST LETTER WRITERS HAMPERED, ANWAR'S TRIAL TOLD click
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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- The High Court here was told today that police efforts to arrest two persons who had accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of sexual misconduct were hampered by non-cooperation from the owner of the house where they had taken refuge. Bukit Aman Police Special Branch officer ACP Mazlan Mohamed Din said he had difficulty arresting Ummi Hafilda Ali and Azizan Abu Bakar at the house of Dr Ristina Majid at 56, Jalan Medang Tanduk, Bangsar, on Aug 17 last year. He was the seventh witness at the trial of Anwar, 51, the former deputy prime minister, charged with four counts of committing corrupt practice by using his position to interfere in police investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Ummi Hafilda had written a letter accompanied by a sworn statement by Azizan containing allegations of sexual misconduct against Anwar. Mazlan told Justice Datuk S.Augustine Paul that he entered Dr Ristina's house compound at 5.30pm that day but she refused to let him into the house. "Dr Ristina refused to open the house door and instead remained in the master bedroom with Ummi Hafilda and Azizan. However, she finally agreed to open the door at about 10pm," he said. Mazlan said Dr Ristina then took him to the master bedroom upstairs to get Ummi Hafilda and Azizan but he could not open the door because the lock was damaged. Examined by senior deputy public prosecutor Azahar Mohamad, he said police had to enter the room through the balcony window and take Ummi Hafilda and Azizan down the same way. Ummi Hafilda and Azizan were then arrested by ASP Zulkifli Mohamed of the Criminal Investigation Department and handed over to him at 10.30pm, he said. "I handed Azizan over to DSP Abdul Aziz Hussin after Special Branch director Datuk Mohamed Said Awang instructed me to take them back to Bukit Aman. "When I handed Azizan over to DSP Aziz, I observed that he was holding a small book (of Yassin verses). We arrived at Bukit Aman at midnight," he said. Earlier, Mazlan said that after ASP Zull Aznam Haron (Anwar's aide-de-camp) lodged a police report on an anonymous letter on Aug 15, he, Mohamed Said and Special Branch deputy director II Datuk Amir Junus felt that Ummi and Azizan might be able to clarify as there were similarities between this letter and Ummi's letter to the prime minister. He said police suspected that Ummi Hafilda and Azizan played a part in writing the anonymous letter entitled "Talqin Terbuka Untuk Anwar Ibrahim" (Final Rites for Anwar Ibrahim). Mohamed Said then instructed him to arrest the two who had gone into hiding, he said. He said police intelligence traced them to the house in Bangsar at 3.30pm on Aug 17 and he reported to Mohamed Said who told him to get the CID to arrest them. -- BERNAMA |
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