Rosmah’s corruption trial to proceed in High Court as defence withdraws appeal

Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak.

PUTRAJAYA: Rosmah Mansor has agreed to the prosecution’s bid to hold her corruption trial over a Sarawak solar project in the High Court next year.

This follows her decision today to abandon an appeal in the Court of Appeal to challenge the transfer of her case from the Sessions Court to the High Court.

Her lawyer, Jagjit Singh, told a three-member Court of Appeal bench chaired by Abdul Rahman Sebli that the defence was withdrawing its appeal.

It also filed a notice of discontinuance at the Court of Appeal registry yesterday.

“We have decided not to proceed with the appeal in light of the High Court decision on May 30,” he said.

Rosmah was not present in court today.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Farizul Hassan Bakri said he had no objection to the withdrawal.

Rahman, who sat with Kamardin Hashim and Harminder Singh Dhaliwal, then struck out the appeal.

On May 30, High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan allowed the prosecution’s application to jointly try Rosmah and Rizal Mansor, a former special officer to Najib Razak, for their corruption charges.

The joint trial will be held from Feb 3 to April 30, 2020.

Zaini also rejected the prosecution’s application to have Rosmah’s 17 money laundering charges heard together with the graft charges.

On March 15, the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed the prosecution’s application to transfer Rosmah’s corruption case from the Sessions Court.

Rosmah, 67, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court on Nov 15 last year to two counts of soliciting RM187.5 million and receiving RM1.5 million for projects to provide solar energy to 369 rural schools in Sarawak.

Rizal, 46, pleaded not guilty that same day to four counts of soliciting and accepting bribes for himself and Rosmah, amounting to RM5.5 million over the same project.

On Oct 4 last year, Rosmah also pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of money laundering amounting to RM7,097,750 and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board. - FMT