Malaysian opposition leader Anwar faces sodomy trial

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim went to court Tuesday to defend himself against charges of sodomy for the second time in his life, in a case which could mean the end of his illustrious political career.

   After months of delays, the trial began at the High Court in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

   Anwar, 62, is accused of sodomizing a 24-year-old male aide, a charge he denies.

   Scores of supporters and reporters, many of whom began gathering hours earlier, greeted Anwar, who arrived with his wife, daughters and lawyers.

   The former deputy prime minister, dressed in a grey suit, smiled and waved at supporters before entering the court.

   Anwar was charged with corruption and sodomizing his former family driver in 1998. He was convicted and imprisoned but later released in 2004 after the Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction.

   Anwar has maintained that the charges then were meant to stop him from challenging then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

   He has said the new sodomy charges are part of a political plot to undermine his three-party opposition alliance, which made major gains in the country's 2008 general elections.

   Officials have denied claims of a conspiracy.

Sodomy is a crime in mainly-Muslim Malaysia and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.