KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 ― The High Court today ordered Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's money laundering and tax evasion trial to start as scheduled pending a decision on her bid to get the charges withdrawn.
Judge K. Muniandy made the ruling after both the prosecution and defence asked for a deferral as Rosmah had sent a letter of representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers on August 18 and was awaiting a decision on whether or not the charges would be dropped.
“After considering the submissions made by parties, this case has been pending in court since 2018 and has not taken off, it is only fair to the accused and court for it to proceed,” the judge said.
Earlier this morning, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the court of the defence's latest representation submission and the need for the prosecution to act on it before the trial proper started.
Rosmah had submitted a representation bid back in May.
“We received a further letter of representation dated August 18, 2023 which raises some other new grounds which need to be also verified by us.
“Based on those circumstances, I seek Yang Arif's indulgence to allow us more time to get our investigation completed,” he said.
Ahmad Akram said the prosecution needed some two to three months to reach a final decision on whether or not to allow the representation because it would be “difficult” for the parties concerned to retrace their steps once trial started.
Rosmah’s lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent agreed with the prosecution to vacate the remaining trial dates pending a decision on their representation bid.
He also said there would be no unnecessary delay in the trial as the prosecution had sought to have Rosmah’s bribery charges over a RM1.25 billion hybrid energy project for Sarawak schools heard and disposed of first; it was later disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rosmah was convicted of the first case last year.
On September 1 last year, Court of Appeal judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan — then a High Court judge — found Rosmah guilty of three corruption charges involving RM1.25 billion in connection with a hybrid solar project to provide electricity for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Rosmah, who is the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for each charge to be served concurrently which means she will only serve 10 years in jail.
She was also fined RM970 million, in default 30 years in jail but her sentence is on hold pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
In this trial, Rosmah is facing 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750, and five counts of failure to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board between December 4, 2013 to June 8, 2017.
Initially charged on October 4, 2018 at the Sessions Court, she has pled not guilty to all the charges.
