Diplomats from the US, Australia, Britain, Canada and the European Union member states were among those who witnessed the ineptitude of the police before the sodomy verdict this morning.

Also present were the Inter Parliamentary Union observer and International Council of Jurists observer Mark Trowell.

There was a broken bench at the back of the courtroom and despite the heavy security inside, it seemed that none of the personnel had noticed it.

Five or six young police officers, believed to be from the Special Branch, initially occupied the limited seats in the public gallery.

They were not the ‘usual’ Special Branch branch officers whom the reporters recognised, but ‘new faces’ sporting short haircuts.

A senior policeman then directed them to vacate their seats and make way for others; only to call them in again for the laborious task of removing the broken bench.

As the public gallery had filled up by then, there was no way to carry the broken bench out. Hence, a locked door had to be opened to enable this to be done.

By then, local and foreign media representatives were present in full force.

Waiting in the rain

Earlier in the morning, the police had prevented media personnel fromi entering the courtroom.

As a result, more than 50 reporters were caught in the rain for more than two hours.

They had been told on Thursday to come as early as 5am so as to be allowed into the courtroom.

Reporters started converging on the Jalan Duta court complex as early as 3.30am, but were refused entry and told to return at 6am.

At 6am, police personnel manning the gates said no one would be allowed in until 7am. This irritated many reporters, some of whom had waited under umbrellas since it began raining about 4.30am.

The downpour finally stopped just as the media were allowed into the building about 6.30am.