Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's High Court on Friday stopped the handover of prosecution evidence to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, reversing an earlier decision granting him the information. Last week, the court ordered the prosecution to furnish Anwar's lawyers with crucial evidence such as a closed-circuit footage at the alleged crime scene as well as other documents which were likely to be used in Anwar's sodomy trial.
However, the High Court on Friday issued a stay of execution on the earlier order.
Anwar is facing charges that he sodomized a 23-year-old former male aide last year, a charge he has vehemently denied. If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
This is the second time the former deputy prime minister has faced accusations of sodomy. In 1998, he was found guilty of sodomizing a former family driver and of abusing his power in office to cover up the crime.
He was subsequently cleared of the sodomy charge in 2004 but not before serving six years in prison.
Friday's ruling means the disclosure of evidence will now be left to the Court of Appeal to decide, Anwar's lawyers said.
The court also set a September 2 date to hear Anwar's motion to throw out the case altogether, meaning an actual trial hearing is unlikely to begin anytime before the end of September.
The government has denied accusations by Anwar that he is once again the victim of a government conspiracy to topple him.
