They also expressed their disappointment that neither they nor Anwar had seen the copy of the police report lodged by his accuser Mohd Saifuil Bukhari Azlan or the medical report.

“The legal team has not been given anything by the police or the prosecution. Nothing. But we will fight hard with the few resources as we are going against the might of the state, “ said lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah.

Sulaiman said that the political underpinnings of the criminal case were “undeniable.”

“The sequence is clear. Datuk Seri announced he is running for the Permatang Pauh by-election. The Election Commission fixes nomination day (on Wednesday) and almost immediately he (Anwar) is summoned to appear in court.

“The nexus between the one and the other is unmistakable. Datuk Seri is facing the dual burden of the allegations and the fight to save the nation.

“He has not flinched and will face this trial fortified with prayers from his family and friends,” he said yesterday at a press conference called by Anwar.

Anwar will be represented by three other main lawyers besides Sulaiman, namely PKR vice-president and Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah, Sankara Nair and Saiful Izham Ramli.

Four or five more lawyers would be on stand-by as back-up.

Sankara Nair said that Anwar would likely be charged under Section 377B of the Penal Code for voluntarily committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature.

“This is a non-bailable offence but normally bail is granted by the court for sodomy and rape offences, except for Anwar. They don't like to give,” he quipped.

Sankara Nair also said there was no previous indication that Anwar would be charged today until he received the phone call at 8.47am yesterday from the police.

“I was told to bring my client to court at 10am to be charged. I then received a fax at 10am and then Brickfields CID Chief Deputy Supt Jude Pereira personally handed over the notice to Anwar at 12.20pm. We are ready to battle it out,” he said.

- The Star