KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The opposition leader in Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was Friday found guilty of sodomy in a court verdict that may disqualify him from contesting parliament elections, officials said.

The court overturned an earlier acquittal and sentenced Ibrahim to five years in jail on sodomy charges. This ended his hopes of contesting a key by-election in the state of Selangor on March 23.

The court of appeal ruled that Ibrahim had anal intercourse with his male aide in 2008, a crime in the Muslim majority country. His defence team's argument that DNA evidence had been contaminated, which had been ruled as such by the high court judge, was dismissed.

An angry Ibrahim, however, vowed to appeal to the country's highest court. Ibrahim, who is the de facto leader of the People's Justice Party, has repeatedly said he is innocent.

He called the case against him an attempt by the government to end his political career.

"This is a travesty of justice -- a blatant disregard of the rule of law," said Azmin Ali, deputy president of the People's Justice Party and a member of parliament. "This case is a clear case of hurried justice."

He warned Prime Minister Najib Razak's government that it "faces the wrath of the people".

The court said Ibrahim could remain free on bail during the appeal against the verdict to the country's highest court.

Ibrahim, 66, is seen as the most potent threat to Najib, whose popular support has weakened over the last two elections.

"All over again, after 15 years, they want to put me in the lockup and that is why they are rushing," Ibrahim said after his acquittal was overturned.

The government has however denied any involvement in the case: "This is a case between two individuals and is a matter for the courts, not the government," an official spokesman said.

Sodomy, even consensual, is a crime in the Muslim-majority Malaysia and is punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

International human rights groups say the legal moves against Ibrahim are politically motivated.