Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan has today withdrawn his defamation suit against Anwar Ibrahim over the opposition leader's police report on fabrication of evidence in the Sodomy I trial.

NONEThe withdrawal of the former police chief's suit was recorded before Kuala Lumpur High Court judicial commissioner Asmabi Mohamad.

Musa's lawyers Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin and Hasnal Rezua Merican informed Asmabi of the withdrawal before a packed court room filled with Anwar's supporters.

Anwar's lawyer N Surendran said as a result of the withdrawal, they are not seeking costs.
Musa filed the suit following Anwar's police report against him, attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim and Hospital Kuala Lumpur pathologist Dr Abdul Rahman Mohd Yusof in 2008 alleging fabrication of evidence in the Sodomy I trial.

Anwar, who was arrested on Sept 20, 1998 on allegations of abuse of power and sodomy, was assaulted by former IGP Abdul Rahim Noor while being detained at the lock-up.

The police report led to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating Musa and Abdul Gani - the investigating officer on the two cases against Anwar and chief prosecutor respectively - on allegations of possible abuse of power, where a three-member panel led by former Federal Court judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman was called in to conduct a probe.

However, the panel in a majority ruling ruled that Musa and Abdul Gani were not guilty of abuse of power. Abdul Kadir was the only one dissenting in the panel.

Despite the panel's clearance of Abdul Gani and Musa which was announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz in Parliament, the allegations on the duo persist.

This follows revelations by Mat Zain, the investigating officer in the black eye incident, over the duo's role in allegedly fabricating evidence in various open letters which he had posted to the media, with copies sent to the IGP and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.