Latheefa banned from meeting Anwar

PUTRAJAYA: Lawyer and PKR supreme council member Latheefa Koya has been banned from meeting jailed PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by the Prisons Department.
According to Selangor Prisons Department director Darusallam Budin, the decision was taken after the department had found her to have not complied with Rule 101 (2) of the Prison Regulations 2000.
"As informed on March 31 and April 1, the media had published statements regarding the Election Commission and the Anti-Fake News Bill that was purportedly issued by Anwar.
"Under Section 26 of the Prisons Act 1995 states that while still serving sentence despite being out of prison, a convict is still bound to regulations as implemented within prison walls.
"Rule 101 (2) of the Prison Regulations 2000 sets that a meeting between a lawyer and a convict are related to the ongoing case trial that involves the convict only," he said in a statement, today.
Darusallam pointed out that Anwar is still undergoing medical treatment at the Cheras Rehabilitation Centre whereby visitation rights are given to family members.
Lawyers, he said, are accorded visitation rights from time to time on the basis of case trials following application by the lawyers.
"The Prisons Department hopes that cooperation is accorded by all parties to comply with the both Prisons Act 1995 and Rule 101 (2) of the Prison Regulations 2000 to ensure that visitation affairs with a prisoner who is currently serving his sentence can be conducted in a smooth manner," he added.
Anwar is expected to be released from jail on June 11 this year under a one-third remission of his prison sentence, at the discretion of the Prisons Department director-general.
He was sentenced to five years' jail on Feb 10, 2015 for sodomising his former assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.