KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 ― Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s bribery and corruption trial has been delayed once again as the final witness was unable to attend the court proceedings today.
Rosmah’s counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork told High Court Judge Justice Zaini Mazlan that the witness’ flight back to Kuala Lumpur on January 28 was delayed to January 29 and she is still under home quarantine till tomorrow.
Justice Zaini said he was under the impression that the witness was supposed to return on the 20th as he was told by Azrul previously.
Justice Zaini: I recall you as saying her flight back was on the 20th not the 28th? I thought I heard 20th?
Stork: No Yang Arif it was 28th.
Gopal Sri Ram: I think it’s my learned friend's pronunciation. We need to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Justice Zaini: Well this changes everything and I don’t plan to fix another date too far from this. This is supposed to be the last day of trial. Well, I accept your explanation En Azrol but I urge you to write to the relevant Courts and get an adjournment (for their cases) as this matter should be given priority as it is the last witness.
Today's witness was supposed to be an officer in the Prime Minister’s Office, Datuk Seri Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod. She was in Saudi Arabia performing her Umrah and due to her delayed flight, and the country’s requirements to have a minimum of seven days in quarantine, she would only be allowed out from her home surveillance on February 5, 2022.
Justice Zaini then fixed February 15, 2022, at 2pm for the conclusion of this case. Sri Ram added he would need less than two hours to cross-examine the witness.
In this trial, Rosmah is facing several charges; among them receiving a RM5 million bribe and a RM1.5 million bribe from Jepak Holdings and its managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, on December 20, 2016.
She is also charged with soliciting RM187.5 million from Saidi in 2016 and 2017 for the Sarawak schools solar energy supply project, as well as receiving RM6.5 million in cash from him.
It is alleged that the money was meant to help Saidi’s company, Jepak Holdings, to secure the RM1.25 billion project to supply electricity to 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
