Ask Dr M, Thomas about Rosmah walking free, says PM

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has suggested that his predecessor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and former attorney-general Tommy Thomas should take responsibility for Rosmah Mansor walking free in her RM7 million money laundering and tax evasion case.

This was after the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) withdrew its appeal against the High Court’s acquittal of charges against the wife of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Ruling out political motivations in the latest development, Anwar noted that Rosmah was charged in 2018, but the courts later acquitted her because the case was “weak”.

“Ask (them). Who was the AG in 2018? Who was the prime minister then?” he told reporters in Langkawi, Kedah, after Friday prayers.

“The case was too weak; the foundation of the case was baseless. The (current) AG (Dusuki Mokhtar) reviewed the case and made a decision to withdraw its appeal,” he added in a New Straits Times report.

He clarified that the AG’s decision did not signal the end of Rosmah’s other ongoing cases.

“But I want to remind all parties, be it those in the government, or the opposition, or those in the legal profession, that the principle of the supremacy of the constitution and rule of law must be protected,” he said.

Anwar also emphasised that it was wrong for anyone to make politically driven decisions simply because they did not like a person.

Both Rosmah and her husband were charged during Pakatan Harapan’s 22-month administration from 2018 to 2020. Anwar’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was the deputy prime minister at the time.

When contacted, Thomas said: “No comment.”

‘No conviction prospect’

The AGC said it decided not to appeal Rosmah’s acquittal of 12 money laundering charges and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board, as there is no prospect of conviction if it were continued.

“Among the factors we considered was that the prosecution would not be able to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt as required when dealing with criminal charges.

“This is because some of the witnesses needed to secure a conviction had passed away, and others have gone untraceable,” the AGC added. - Mkini