KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has been found guilty of all three charges of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to RM194 million in return for assisting in a RM1.25 billion government contract to supply energy to rural schools in Sarawak.

High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan delivered his verdict this afternoon after dismissing the defence’s last-minute application for his recusal this morning.

"I have conducted a maximum evaluation of all evidence by the accused and prosecution at the end of the trial and find the accused failed to rebut the presumption under Section 51(1) Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 on a balance of probabilities that the solicitation of RM187.5 million under the first charge was corruptly solicited as an inducement," he said, reading the judgement.

"The gratification of RM1.5 million under the second charge was corruptly received as a reward and the gratification of RM5 million under the third charge was corruptly received as a reward for herself to help Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd in getting the project awarded to it through direct negotiations.

"The accused defence was a bare denial devoid of credible evidence and unsubstantiated in order to create a reasonable doubt. In the upshot the prosecution has succeeded in proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt in respect of all three charges. The accused is therefore guilty under all three charges under Section 16(a) MACC Act 2009," he added.

Rosmah, the wife of convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is charged with soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes from contractor Saidi Abang Samsudin in 2016 and 2017 so that his company Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd can secure a RM1.25 billion government project to supply electricity to the schools in Sarawak.

She is also accused of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Saidi. Her trial formally started in February 2020.

Hearing concluded in February this year, with 23 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, including Rosmah, testifying during this two-year period.

Rosmah has so far filed three applications challenging the appointment of lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram.

On February 18 last year, Rosmah, 70, was ordered to enter her defence on the three charges after the prosecution succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.

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