KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — The Court of Appeal has today set October 23 and 24 to hear Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s bid to set aside her conviction and jail sentence in the RM1.25 billion Sarawak rural schools’ solar hybrid energy project handed down by the High Court.

The hearing dates were decided after a case management this morning.

Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yii Tin, who appeared for the prosecution, confirmed the dates with reporters.

Poh said the appellate court will also be hearing Rosmah's bid to recuse trial judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan in the same case.

The recusal application is centred on the purported leak of the judgment that was published online by fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin.

Mohamed Zaini previously rejected Rosmah’s application to recuse or remove him from the case.

Rosmah had filed the recusal application on August 30, which was two days before Mohamed Zaini was scheduled to deliver his verdict in her corruption trial.

At that time, Rosmah said she had lost confidence in the High Court judge’s ability to preside over her corruption trial and claimed the draft judgment was prepared by a "third party”.

Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader and Datuk Jagjit Singh appeared for Rosmah.

On September 1, 2022, the High Court found Rosmah guilty of three charges of corruption with regard to a solar hybrid project worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, and sentenced her to 10 years in prison as well as a fine of RM970 million.

The court also ordered her to be imprisoned for 30 years if she failed to pay the fine.

The High Court, however, granted her a stay of execution of the imprisonment term and fine pending her appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Rosmah subsequently filed an appeal against her conviction and sentence on September 2.