The prosecution in the appeal hearing of former jailed deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim today submitted that the retraction letters obtained from Ummi Hafilda Ali and former driver Azizan Abu Bakar were done through force.

"We submit that the retraction letters were not made voluntarily," Mohd Azahar Mohamed told the Court of Appeal.

Azahar pointed out that the eight-hour interrogation process Ummi and Azizan endured, following their arrest by the police, forced them to write the retractions.

"Azizan agreed to write the retraction because he was threatened by Special Branch officers, that he would be jailed under the Internal Security Act," Azahar said.

Anwar's former political secretary Azmin Ali's sister, Ummi, and Azizan wrote letters to the Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad alleging Azizan was repeatedly sodomised by Anwar. They later retracted the allegations of sexual misconduct and sodomy and said they were false and written under mere suspicion.

Anwar was charged and found guilty of asking Special Branch officers to obtain retraction letters from Ummi and Azizan. He was sentenced to a six-year jail term by judge Augustine Paul last April.

In their evidence adduced at the corruption trial, both Ummi and Azizan said they were arrested and interrogated in the police headquarters, Bukit Aman, for long hours without food or water, regarding the sexual allegations against Anwar.

In his submissions, Azahar argued that police officer Mohd Said Awang's testimony could not be completely disregarded although he told the court he might lie to carry out orders from his superior officers.

"The learned trial judge (Paul) had analysed the evidence of Said Awang and come to a firm finding that he is a credible witness," Azahar said.

He also said the judge has the right to stop or prevent witnesses from testifying if he feels their evidence is irrelevant to the case.

Last week, lead defence counsel Raja Aziz Addruse submitted that Paul disallowed the defence to adduce evidence through witnesses crucial to their case.

One of the witnesses is an American of Lebanese descent who was alleged to have been approached by police officers to fabricate evidence against Anwar.

"The ruling made by the judge, irrespective of all the witnesses not called, is correct," Azahar said in his closing arguments.

The prosecution ended their submissions today and Raja Aziz started his rebuttal submissions late this afternoon. He is expected to end his submissions tomorrow.

Anwar, in his appeal hearing, hopes to overturn his six-year jail term. The hearing is presided by Court of Appeal judges Lamin Yunus, Mokhtar Sidin and Ahmad Fairus.

The one-time heir apparent to the Prime Minister post also stands trial for a separate charge of sodomy and sexual misconduct. He has repeatedly denied all charges and says they were fabricated to end his political career.