Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been acquitted of sodomy, a charge he has always maintained was trumped up to discredit him and ruin him politically.
Anwar was accused of sodomising a male, former aide in 2008. The verdict was delivered in just under five minutes, a sharp contrast to the trial, which has been going on for two years.
The high court judge, Zabidin Diah, said he could not be 100 per cent certain that the DNA evidence had not been compromised, and that he was reluctant to convict on uncorroborated evidence.
As soon as the verdict was delivered, shouts of "Allahu Akbar" or "God is Great" rang out in the court room.
Outside the building, thousands of Anwar supporters who had gathered in the car park since early morning, erupted into cheers and whoops of joy.
Taken by surprise
The acquittal has taken most people by surprise.
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