'If you steal, you get charged' – Dr M denies 'revenge' behind Rosmah's arrest

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has denied that Rosmah Mansor's arrest was motivated by revenge.

“All that we are doing is according to the law. No one is above the law.

“So, if anything is against the law, then the legal process will be carried out – that is our promise. There is no idea about revenge or anything like that.

“The law says if you take money or steal money, you will be charged in court. Whether the court agrees or not, that is a different matter,” he told reporters in Putrajaya this morning.

The prime minister had been asked to respond to a claim by Rosmah’s daughter, Nooryana Najib, that the government was "going too far" in arresting her mother.

Rosmah, who is Najib's wife, was arrested yesterday at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya, after being questioned.

She was charged with 17 counts of money laundering at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur today.

Nooryana had said in an Instagram post: "I can accept taking action on a man who was in power, but putting the women in his life in harm's way is going too far.

“Two weeks ago, you raided his mother's house, and today, you remand (sic) his wife, and plan on charging her the same day her husband is due in court.

"I suppose tomorrow makes for a great picture and media circus. The dreaded call came in at 4am. Too sad to cry, too angry to scream, I just got up, took wuduk (ablution) and prayed tahjud (night prayer) for Mummy."

This morning, Rosmah was charged under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATF) in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur.

She claimed trial to 17 counts of money laundering, inclusive of five charges related to tax declaration:

1. Depositing RM200,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account on Dec 4, 2013;

2. Depositing RM100,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account on Dec 16, 2013;

3. Depositing RM200,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account on Dec 23, 2013;

4. Depositing RM100,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account on Jan 28, 2014;

5. Depositing RM100,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account on Jan 29, 2014;

6. Depositing RM200,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account on Feb 28, 2014;

7. Depositing RM100,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account on March 14. 2014;

8. Depositing RM100,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account on April 8, 2014;

9. Depositing RM1.6 million from unlawful activities into her personal account in eight transactions between Sept 4, 2014, and Dec 22, 2014;

10. Depositing RM3.85 million from unlawful activities into her personal account in 127 transactions between Jan 21, 2015, and Dec 12, 2015;

11. Depositing RM510,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account in 87 transactions between Jan 28, 2016, and Nov 7, 2016;

12. Depositing RM30,000 from unlawful activities into her personal account in five transactions between March 29, 2017, and June 8, 2017;

13. Failing to declare RM500,000 deposited into her personal account between Dec 4, 2013, and Dec 23, 2013, as required by the Income Tax Act;

14. Failing to declare RM2.2 million deposited into her personal account between Jan 28, 2014, and Dec 22, 2014, as required by the Income Tax Act;

15. Failing to declare RM3..85 million deposited into her personal account between Jan 21, 2015, and Dec 12, 2015, as required by the Income Tax Act;

16. Failing to declare RM510,000 deposited into her personal account between Jan 28, 2016, and Nov 7, 2016, as required by the Income Tax Act; and

17. Failing to declare RM30,000 deposited into her personal account between March 29, 2017, and June 8, 2017, as required by the Income Tax Act.

Overall, Rosmah is facing charges for depositing a total of RM7.097 million into her personal account between 2013 and 2017.

If convicted, she faces a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine five times the amount of the illicit activities or RM5 million, or whichever is higher, for each of the charges.

Bail has been set at RM2 million and the next hearing for the case will be on Nov 8.

-Mkini