Court allows documents on sexual assault civil suit in firearms/drugs trial involving Anwar's ex-staff

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed the admission of documents relating to a sexual assault suit against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as defence evidence in the drug trafficking and firearms trial of Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, a former staff of the PKR president.

During cross examination of the prosecution's first witness, Inspector Wan Muhammad Wan Ali, defence counsel Rafique Rashid showed a witness list related to his client's civil suit against Anwar.

Wan Muhammad was one of the officers from the D9 Special Investigation Division of the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent Headquarters who took part in raiding Yusoff's car last September.

However, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sabri Othman objected on the grounds that documents from the civil suit were not relevant to criminal proceedings.

Rafique explained that Yusoff had mentioned to the police that Anwar and his former political secretary Farhash Wafa Salvador had an axe to grind due to Yusoff's complaints against them.

"To prove that the items were 'planted' or that Yusoff was set up, there must be a basis. This is the basis on which we are presenting the documents. We will show a range of relevant dates," said Rafique.

Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin then allowed the documents to be shown.

Wan Muhammad told the court that the raid on Yusoff's car on Sept 6 last year was carried out following an anonymous tip-off that there were weapons in the vehicle.

Yusoff is facing charges under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 36 of the Firearms Act.

According to the charge sheet, police found drugs and firearms in Yusoff's car parked outside the Dang Wangi police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

His family members have recounted how Yusoff was restrained while police searched the car and claimed to have found two pistols and 305g of cannabis.

The incident occurred a week after Yusoff submitted the list of witnesses for his suit against Anwar, which has been fixed for trial on June 16.

He has since filed two police reports with names of people to be investigated, including Farhash. Police have yet to comment on the status of the reports.

Yusoff, the grandson of the late Penang consumer advocate SM Mohamed Idris, has strongly denied police claims that he kept the two pistols and 305g of cannabis in his car.

Rafique said documents in Yusoff's civil suit against Anwar supported the defence's argument that he was framed.

"We need to establish who gave the instructions (to frame him), if there were instructions. Why does he think he was set up?

"From day one, Yusoff has consistently claimed he was framed," he said.

Meanwhile, Rafique has also submitted a recording of Yusoff's statement to the police as a defence exhibit.

Yusoff worked as Anwar's research assistant at the politician's bungalow office in Bukit Gasing, Petaling Jaya in 2018.

In 2021, he filed a lawsuit alleging that the PKR leader sexually assaulted him in October 2018, just days before he won the Port Dickson by-election.

Anwar has denied the allegations.

In July 2021, Yusoff filed his civil suit against Anwar.