SODOMY TRIAL: ANWAR TO TAKE STAND ON AUG 15

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- Anwar Ibrahim will take the stand
on Aug 15, after the High Court allowed the prosecution's application for a
week to facilitate the defence to interview Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Tun
Razak and 14 others.

Solicitor-General II Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abiden told the court Monday,
the prosecution needed the time as two of the 15 witnesses were currently in
Indonesia.

In allowing the application, Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah set Aug
15-26 for the defence case.

Initially, the court set Aug 8-26, with Anwar scheduled as first witness to
take the stand.

Met later, Mohamed Yusof said the two witnesses from Indonesia were former
maids of Hasanuddin Abd Hamid, the owner of the condominium unit where the
incident allegedly occurred.

In the application, Anwar had identified one of the maids only as
Suliati, while the other was Fitria Dipan.

Later, Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin told reporters, with the
ruling, all witnesses needed to be in the court complex this week to be
interviewed by the defence.

"If they failed to do so, the defence could apply for subpoena to compel
them to be present in court."

Meanwhile, Anwar's lead counsel, Karpal Singh, said the 15 witnesses,
including Najib and wife, Rosmah Mansor, should come to the court
complex to be interviewed by defence lawyers.

At the close of its case, the prosecution offered 71 witnesses, including
Najib and Rosmah.

The defence chose to interview only 25, and so far, only five have been
interviewed.

They are ex-sprint queen Mumtaz Jaafar, Dr Mohd Osman Abd Hamid,
formerly of Pusrawi, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's youngest sister, Saidaiti
Azlan, a Kuala Lumpur Hospital doctor known only as Dr Daniel, and Khairil Anaz
Yusof, a special assistant to Najib when he was deputy prime minister.