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| Mohmad Salleh (left) and Azmin are disputing each other’s version of their Friday meeting. |
City police today insisted PKR had agreed to the 10 conditions set out for its rally tomorrow in support of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when he learns the verdict of his two-year long sodomy trial.
Head of Kuala Lumpur police Datuk Mohamad Salleh told reporters today PKR deputy president Azmin Ali was not being truthful when he said the conditions were not agreed to during their meeting on Friday.
“Azmin Ali’s denial is untrue. The conditions were based on our agreement. There were no changes,” he said, adding that PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin had signed an agreement listing down the conditions.
Mohamad added that if the conditions were breached, “police have already planned the action that will be taken on the organisers.”
“They want to lie down (on the streets) or whatever, that is up to them. Police only want to ensure the assembly will not take place outside the car park.
He said there will be no further discussions with Azmin as “there is no point meeting with liars.”
The Gombak MP had announced on Tuesday that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will be amassing a rally of over 100,000 people when the court delivers its verdict.
He also said yesterday PKR does not accept conditions set by police for Monday’s public rally as they were only outlined after the party had obtained police permission to gather in support of its de facto leader.
Sentul police had issued 10 conditions on Friday, barring participants supporting Opposition Leader Anwar from “making noise” and speeches at the assembly.
The conditions also prohibit participants from carrying any banners to support the Permatang Pauh MP at the gathering, which is being held as the High Court here delivers its verdict in the highly-charged Sodomy II trial.
The police had met a PKR delegation Friday morning before deciding to allow the rally to go ahead in the parking area of the Jalan Duta court complex.
No conditions were mentioned by Mohamad during a brief, joint press conference with PKR after their meeting.
But Sentul police issued the conditions yesterday evening after “considering safety and public order factors.”
Among the other conditions are that the public must disperse one hour after the verdict, and that the organisers are only allowed to use two loudhailers for the purpose of crowd control.
Anwar, 64, is charged with sodomising former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium in upscale Damansara Heights here in June 2008, a few months before returning from a decade in the political wilderness and winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.
This represents the second time he has been prosecuted for sodomy.
If found guilty, he could spend up to 20 years behind bars but will escape the caning penalty as he is over 60. It would effectively spell the end of his political career and his chance to be prime minister.
