Malaysia court finds Anwar Ibrahim not guilty of sodomy

Anwar had said he was "prepared for the worst"
ahead of the verdict in the Malaysia capital

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been acquitted of sodomy after a two-year trial.

The ruling came as hundreds of Mr Anwar's supporters waited outside the court in Kuala Lumpur.

Mr Anwar, 64, has consistently denied the charges and called them a government bid to cripple his political ambitions and influence.

He was jailed for sodomy in 1999 but the conviction was overturned. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Mr Anwar had been accused of having sex with a former male aide. He had faced up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

But the judge ruled that the DNA evidence submitted by the prosecution was unreliable.

"The court is always reluctant to convict on sexual offences without corroborative evidence. Therefore, the accused is acquitted and discharged," Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah said.

The allegations against Mr Anwar surfaced just months after elections in 2008, in which he led the opposition to unprecedented gains at the expense of the ruling party.

Hundreds of police and security personnel were on the streets of Kuala Lumpur ahead of the verdict.