Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has today filed an application in the High Court to strike out the sodomy charge against him ahead of a court hearing next month.

The de facto PKR leader has also filed a notice of motion for a stay of proceedings which has been scheduled for July 1 to 24.

the charge against anwar ibrahim sodomy allegation trial 070808 The applications were made by his lawyer Sankara Nair at the High Court registry late this afternoon.

Anwar, through the notice of motion is seeking:

(a) that the sodomy charge be set-aside and quashed,

(b) that the High Court grant Anwar's application for acquittal and discharge,

(c) that the criminal trial scheduled for July 1, be put off until the conclusion in this hearing

Anwar is making the application on the basis that the charge against him is mala fide (bad intention) and an abuse of the court process.

Expert evidence

He is also claiming that the charge is a political conspiracy and there is expert evidence showing the victim had not been sodomised.

Anwar wants prosecution to provide further documentary evidence to back the prosecutions' claims.

Anwar had last Wednesday filed for an application to obtain several documents which have been withheld by the prosecution.

He said that he needed the documents to prepare for his defence.

Among the documents that he wants are the original CCTV recordings taken at several locations at the alleged crime scene at the Desa Damansara Condominium in Bukit Damansara from June 25 to 27, 2008.

The other evidence are the DNA samples, statements from witnesses including the complainant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, police statements and several other documents.

The court will hear the application on Monday.

Anwar, 61, is charged with sodomising his former personal aide Mohd Saiful, 23, at Unit 11-5-1, Desa Damansara Condominium, Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26 last year.

The opposition leader has claimed that, like his first sodomy charge in 1999, this is part of a political conspiracy. The authorities have denied this.