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Corruption Alleged in Malaysia

Date: 20 Aug 1999
Time: 23:15:07
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Corruption Alleged in Malaysia Full Coverage Malaysia Political News

By RANJAN ROY Associated Press Writer

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Ousted deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who says he was jailed for political reasons, leveled fresh allegations of corruption against an influential politician Friday.

Meanwhile, police began investigating whether Anwar stole state secrets before he was fired and sentenced to six years for corruption. Also Friday, the prosecution in Anwar's sodomy trial rested its case.

Anwar faces up to 20 more years if convicted of sodomy. He denies both the sodomy and corruption charges, saying they are part of a political conspiracy to quash his challenge to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Anwar filed the police report against Rahim Tamby Chik, a former state chief minister and a close associate of Mahathir.

In the eight-page document, he called for Rahim to be prosecuted for favoring a company owned by his relatives and giving them lucrative land deals. Anwar also alleged that Rahim failed to declare $10.5 million in assets to the government.

``The real traitors are those who are appropriating the nation's wealth for themselves and their cronies and are oppressing the people,'' Anwar wrote.

Friday's report is Anwar's fourth in recent weeks alleging corrupt acts by businessmen and government leaders, including Mahathir.

Anwar says he has boxes of documents stashed overseas to prove that the government is riddled with corruption. None of the documents have been made public.

On Thursday, police summoned a close Anwar ally and opposition party leader, Mohamad Ezam Mohamed Nor, for a three-hour grilling after he claimed that Anwar smuggled the government papers out of Malaysia with help from scores of top civil servants.

Mohamad's comments were published in local dailies. That led Mahathir loyalists to demand that Anwar be charged with violating Malaysia's Official Secrets Act.

Meanwhile, the prosecution in Anwar's latest trial wrapped up Friday, paving the way for the judge to decide whether Anwar sodomized his wife's former driver.

High Court Judge Ariffin Jaka adjourned the hearing until Sept. 6. If Ariffin decides that the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, defense lawyers will call their own witnesses to testify.


Last changed: August 20, 1999