The recent sodomy accusations against Anwar Ibrahim have given rise to plentiful conjecture, analysis, and plain old blind guesses and rumour-mongering.

This nation-shaking controversy has dominated local media and blog coverage since it first erupted. What really happened? Who is behind it? Who stands to gain most from it? Who will triumph in the end?

But there is one word that is on everybody's lips: ‘conspiracy’.

This controversy is simply too complicated, and the timing too right, to be a simple and straightforward case. This must be the work of a sinister komplot! We must dig deeper to find out the truth behind this deep conspiracy! Or so they say...

Thus I present seven of these wild, totally unfounded, baseless and unproven - yet annoyingly popular - conspiracy theories that are popping up around the blogs and kopi tiam discussions.

Disclaimer: I myself am not part of the conspiracy. Really.

1. A certain political rival of Anwar is behind it.

This is probably the most popular theory among concerned Netizens. It says that a certain Prominent Politician, who is currently embroiled in his own controversy involving accusations linking his wife to a murdered foreign national, concocted the Anwar Sodomy Plot in order to shift the media spotlight away from himself.

Young Saiful Bukhari, familiar to Prominent Politician's own aides, was groomed for this mission. He conveniently volunteered to help out in Anwar's campaign just when extra hands were needed. When the time was ripe, he released his allegations from within the very midst of Anwar's team.

Being a mole sent by Prominent Politician, it is little wonder that telling photographs linking Saiful Bukhari to various members of Prominent Politician's team have been uncovered.

After all, this theory says, the best case scenario for Prominent Politician would be for Anwar to be shamed or arrested out of the running to be Malaysia's prime minister, thus opening the way for himself to take the reins of power unchallenged.

2. Anwar himself is behind it.

The Prominent Politician from Theory #1 responded to such allegations by publicly revealing his own theory - that Anwar had long planned this whole show in order to gain the public's sympathy as the wrongfully persecuted underdog.

To wit, this theory says that Anwar carefully selected Saiful Bukhari and sent him to mix in among the rival politicians, gaining their trust and taking lots of photographs with them - including an aide to Prominent Politician himself.

Then, just when the foreign national controversy was already stirring up the mud, Anwar played his hidden joker. Of all the accusations of wrongdoing that could be made, the sodomy allegation was chosen - an allegation that had already been overturned by the courts once, and brought to mind the black eye and massive support for reformasi. No safer and more emotionally stirring choice of an accusation could be made.

This theory makes out Saiful Bukhari's police report, PKR's indignation at the allegations, and Anwar's taking refuge in the Turkish Embassy for fear of his life to be just one big sandiwara - nothing more than a political drama meant to fool the naive and gullible public.

3. Both of them are behind it.

Perhaps the strangest theory is that both Prominent Politician and Anwar are using the same ploy simultaneously! This theory says that since both sides have something to gain from this ho-ha, both sides may be behind it.

The theory continues that although it is unknown who got to him first, Saiful Bukhari was independently approached by both parties to carry out their secret plans. The young aide reaped a double windfall by accepting both offers and the accompanying pay-offs without the other side's knowledge. Now all he has to do is keep on his toes and keep both sides in the dark about the other's plot.

A conspiracy theory worthy of Hollywood, to the point where you almost expect Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to burst through the windows!

4. Saiful Bukhari is acting alone.

A much more reasonable conjecture than Theory #3, and for that same reason, no one seems to be very eager to adopt it.

This theory simply says that Saiful Bukhari is in it alone and for himself. He made up this whole thing in order to gain fame or a large payoff. All the unfounded theories about this side or that forging a conspiracy are the work of overly active imaginations. You media and blogger types should be ashamed of yourselves.

Yawn... Let's move on before we lose our readership.

5. One of their close aides is behind it.

Other than Prominent Politician and Anwar, the other people who stand to gain from this convoluted controversy are their respective aides and right-hand men.

This theory says that since the controversy has adverse effects on both politicians, therefore neither of them is actually behind it. Instead, one of their aides is making a grab for power by tarnishing his boss's public image and playing the big shots against each other.

By blending this theory with Theory #3, you get a plot within a plot where the aides from both sides are aiming to take their bosses down, working together in order to climb the steps of their respective ladders of power.

6. An even bigger player is behind it

Apart from those next in line to be Prime Minister In The Running, there is another figure who stands to personally (if not politically) gain from the removal of both Prominent Politician and Anwar. A figure whose influence runs deep and connections reach far. A figure whose very name conjures forth dark and fearful visions of the police knocking on your door at 3 am.

This figure has repeatedly and publicly expressed his personal dislike for both of them, as well as the boss of one of them. He is displeased with the direction the country has been heading since he released his grip on power, and foresees only ruin if Prominent Politician or Anwar takes the reins.

Rumours have it that he may even be positioning his own carefully-groomed protégé to skillfully snatch the helm of leadership.

To that end, this theory says that the fallout from continuous media circus surrounding Prominent Politician and Anwar will keep them busily distracted and hobble their campaigns to win public and political support.

And if they permanently destroy their reputations in their paranoid accusations and bickering... well, so much the better. The puppet master suffers not dissent.

7. The biggest conspiracy of all - it really happened

Man, I'm not even gonna go there, so unpopular is this theory. I mean, it's... it's... boring! So by definition, it cannot possibly be true.