KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's acquittal on sodomy charges Monday proves the country's judiciary is independent, the prime minister said.
"Today's verdict shows once again that, despite what many have claimed, the Malaysian judiciary is an independent institution where neither politics nor politicians have any influence over the dispensation of justice," Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said.
Najib said the verdict, which followed Ibrahim's 18-month-long trial, indicated a clear separation of powers within the Malaysian government, with no department intruding into the other, the Malaysian news agency Bernama said.
"As head of the executive branch, I respect the decisions of the other branch of government, the judiciary," the prime minister said in a statement.
Anwar had been accused by his former aide of sodomizing him in 2008, a charge the 64-year-old had consistently denied. A conviction on the charge could have sent him to prison for up to 20 years.
A high court justice ruled he found no corroborative evidence in the testimony given by the accuser, Bernama reported.
"Justice has been done. I feel I have been vindicated," CNN quoted Anwar as saying as he left the court building. A large crowd of his supporters outside the building cheered the ruling.
It was the second time Anwar had been tried for sodomy. The former deputy prime minister was convicted of sodomy in 1998 and had served six years in jail before a court overturned the conviction, CNN reported.
In denying the charges, Anwar had said the government tried to end his political career after a coalition of opposition parties he led made major gains in parliamentary elections in 2008. The government had denied his claim.
The U.S. State Department had expressed concerns over Anwar's arrest.
