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KUALA LUMPUR: High Court judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah will deliver his verdict Monday on whether Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sodomised his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, then 23, three years ago.
Anwar arrives at the Jalan Duta courts
These are the live updates from the The Star team at the scene at the KL Court Complex at Jalan Duta and the trial:
8.50am: Anwar, dressed in a blue long-sleeved shirt and black slacks, is in the courtroom. His wife Wan Azizah is dressed in a floral baju kurung. Anwar goes around shaking hands with lawyers.
8.45am: The prosecution team has entered the court.
Anwar, swarmed by the press, is smiling and appears to be in a good mood. He's inside the court complex now going up the lobby.
8.30am: Anwar has arrived at the court complex. The crowd breaks out into frenzied cheering and chants of "Reformasi".
Anwar's bodyguards in a slight scuffle with media as they try to wedge their way past cameramen and photographers scrambling to get shots of Anwar.
Commotion at the main gate as people get worked up. Police have closed the gate and opened a small door on the gate to let Anwar through.
Reporters allowed into courtroom, which is packed.
S'gor MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim also arrives with aides, heads upstairs to court room.
According to a police source, the crowd has swelled to about 10,000. About 100 policemen deployed at the gate.
8.10am: Karpal Singh, Azmin Ali arrive, sending crowd into frenzy of chants and cheers.
Court staff, lawyers and clients told to use back entrance to get into court.
Anwar left his residence at 8am with his family, including wife and daughters, in a convoy of eight cars. When met at his residence, Anwar looked calm and cheerful. "I'm praying for the best. My predictions on the outcome is based on the law and facts. I've been informed that there is a large crowd all ready, but peaceful. I don't believe they should be provoked. All the best," he said.
Earlier, a little girl was seen walking into the crowd wearing a head band with the words "Hidup Anwar" and wearing a mask. Student activist Adam Adli also seen in the crowd.
8am: A team of medics from the Health Ministry seen on fifth floor of the building, with a wheelchair.
An unidentified man is leading the crowd in reciting a doa and ending with takbir.
Earlier, a rally participant dressed as Justice Bao joined the fray, as sporadic chanting broke out all over the rally grounds. The crowd has swelled.
7.50am: Police are thoroughly checking the bags of those coming into the court complex. They are also being very polite.
PKR's Subang MP R. Sivarasa, Datuk S. Ambiga, A. Samad Said and Maria Chin Abdullah have arrived at the building.
Tian Chua tells the crowd that Anwar is expected to arrive at 8.30am. "We will wait here until verdict is delivered," he says.
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