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"I told him to rest but (Anwar) insisted and wanted the case disposed of as soon as possible."
Trial of former Malaysian deputy premier adjournedKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (AFP) - The sodomy trial of ousted Malaysian deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim was adjourned again Tuesday after doctors said he was suffering from "tension headaches." Anwar appeared in court Monday for the first time in over two weeks after being hospitalized following alleged attempts to poison him with arsenic. He did not turn up on Tuesday. His lawyers presented a letter from a hospital chief to Judge Arifin Jaka, saying Anwar was now being treated by a neurologist for "tension headaches." "He is not fit to attend court for the time being until his condition stabilizes," defence counsel Christopher Fernando said. The letter from National University Hospital director Khalid Abdul Kadir said Anwar "complained of a severe headache until he vomited in the court yesterday afternoon." "The hospital experts have examined him again and felt that he might be attacked by another headache if his condition is not stabilised. It might take another two to three days for the new dose of medicine to take effect," Khalid wrote. Fernando said he had met Anwar in hospital last Friday and the former leader insisted on attending court. "I told him to rest but (Anwar) insisted and wanted the case disposed of as soon as possible." Arifin told Fernando to "advise (Anwar) to listen to doctor's advice," saying he had felt Anwar might still be unwell after the hospital placed a nurse on standby in the court Monday. "This is out of everybody's control," he said. "Let's hope he recovers. The trial is adjourned until the hospital certifies that he is fit to attend court." When the trial resumed Monday, Anwar looked tired as he was ushered into the courtroom by five prison guards with a nurse on standby. He had complained of a headache and said he felt "very weak." Aides said he had lost 12 kilograms (26 pounds) since his arrest a year ago. The trial was halted when Anwar was admitted to hospital on September 10, with his lawyers alleging that abnormally high levels of arsenic found in his urine indicated there had been a plot to murder him. A report said Tuesday that tests to detect arsenic in specimens of Anwar's hair and fingernails were expected to be concluded next week. "We received the sample last week and the analysis will take between three to seven days," Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology deputy director Daud Mohamad told the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia. The one-time heir apparent to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was sacked and arrested in September last year and is already serving a six-year jail sentence after being found guilty in April of corruption. He faces up to 20 years if convicted of sodomy. |
