Malaysian court delays opposition leader's sodomy trial

Malaysian court delays opposition leader's sodomy trialKuala Lumpur - Malaysia's High Court on Wednesday once again delayed the sodomy trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim after the lead defence lawyer discharged himself from the case due to a prolonged illness.

The High Court was scheduled to hear a motion by Anwar, 61, to dismiss the charges, but adjourned the hearing due to the attorney's unavailability.

Anwar is facing charges of sodomising a 23-year-old former male aide, a charge he vehemently denies.

If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Wednesday's court session was expected to announce a new trial date.

It is the second time the former deputy prime minister has faced accusations of sodomy. In 1998, he was found guilty of sodomising a former family driver and of abusing his power in office to cover up the crime.

He was subsequently cleared of the sodomy charge in 2004, but not before serving six years in prison.

Anwar had also claimed then that he was the victim of a government conspiracy to topple him after he became a threat to then-premier and his former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

The government has denied his accusations. (dpa)