[ Laman Ehwal Semasa ReformIS ]
Date: 25 Aug 1999
Time: 05:27:03
Remote User: -
Trial of former police chief who beat up Anwar postponed to March
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (AFP) - The trial of Malaysia's former police chief Abdul Rahim Noor, charged with attempting to injure former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, was postponed Wednesday to March 6 next year.
Sessions court Judge Akhtar Tahir changed the hearing date from the initial September 20 as he has to attend a conference for judiciary officers at the time, the official Bernama news agency reported.
Rahim, who stepped down as police inspector general in January and later admitted the assault at a public inquiry, was charged with "wilfully attempting to cause grievous injury" to Anwar on the night of his arrest on September 20 at the federal police headquarters.
Handcuffed and blindfolded at the time of the assault, Anwar later appeared in court with a black eye and a bruised arm.
In April, Rahim pleaded not guilty to the charge which came eight days after Anwar was sentenced to six years in jail for abuse of power. If convicted, Rahim faces up to three-and-a-half years in jail, lawyers said.
Anwar was sacked in September last year after a falling out with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and later arrested as a threat to national security.
After being convicted of abuse of power by getting police to quash allegations of sexual misconduct against him, Anwar returned to the dock in June to face a new charge of sodomy.