Sodomy II: Tight security at Palace of Justice
BY QISHIN TARIQ, M. MAGESWARI, AKIL YUNUS, AND D. KANYAKUMARI
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PUTRAJAYA: Police have set up barricades all around the Palace of Justice here, blocking even media personnel from entering the area for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case appeal at the Federal Court here.
Journalists arrived here as early as 6am, Tuesday.
So far, only cleaners and lawyers have been allowed to enter the premises.
Nearly a hundred reporters were seen waiting outside the Palace of Justice at 7.30am
Police blocking the entrance said they had received “no instructions” to let people inside the barricade, which extended over 300m away from the courthouse.
A representative from the Federal Court corporate communications department confirmed that the barricade would only be opened at 8.15am.
At 8am, 18 reporters, who had earlier submitted their names to the police, were allowed in. However foreign media, photographers and videographers were not allowed in.
This left some 60 plus reporters waiting on the lawn of the Palace of Justice, unable to effectively do their jobs.
Several frustrated foreign press and wires writers were heard shouting “What about us?” and “what about foreign press?”.
The back entrance to the Federal Court building was also barricaded
Police later allowed one foreign press writer to enter the courtroom.
A police communications officer confirmed that 18 local media and one representative from wires agencies were allowed to sit in for the trial, while five cameramen and several videographers were allowed to enter, but had to stay outside the courtroom.
The courtroom has a seating capacity of 80 people.
At 10am, police allowed the remaining press into the building, though the 19-person limit was kept for inside the courtroom.
A different representative from the Federal Court corporate communications department confirmed that other court cases were ongoing.
Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria will chair a five-man panel - which includes Court of Appeal president Justice Tan Sri Md Raus Shariff and Federal Court judges Justices Tan Sri Abdull Hamid Embong, Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar and Ramly Ali - to hear Anwar’s appeal against his conviction and five-year jail sentence for a sodomy charge.
Police checking vehicles at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya
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