KUALA LUMPUR — Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor today said she is “OK” in her first court appearance since her absence on Monday, and after her reported hospitalisation that same day.
Rosmah, who will be turning 69 later this year, was seen walking largely unaided into the court complex this morning after arriving in one of two black cars with an ambulance in tow.
The wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex by around 10am for the first day of her first trial over an alleged bribery-for-contract deal.
Following proceedings where the prosecution’s opening statement was read out and three prosecution witnesses testified, the High Court adjourned the bribery trial today at around 1.35pm and set 10am tomorrow for its resumption.
When leaving the courtroom minutes later, Rosmah was seen walking out accompanied by several individuals, including her lawyer, and was seen placing her hand on an aide’s arm for support.
Asked by reporters how she was feeling today and about the condition of her health, Rosmah replied, “It’s OK, ask my doctor,” as she walked away.
When met by reporters, Rosmah’s lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader said his client currently is not testifying in the trial but will still have to be “healthy” to be present and sit in court.
“She’s unwell as you can see today, she is guided by the doctor’s advice, the court is in the know about it,” he said, adding that the High Court had previously instructed her to inform the court if she is unwell as she would be given some “elbow room to relax” and adjourn the case.
Akberdin said the legal team had told Rosmah to appear in court today despite her recent hospitalisation, as the court requires her presence at her trial today and they had to comply with the court’s instructions.
Datuk Jagjit Singh, another lawyer representing Rosmah, argued that the medical certificate issued by a doctor stating that his client was unfit to attend court should have been accepted.
“Despite her ill condition, she came from hospital. What does that say? The scales of justice must always be even,” he said, noting that lawyers sometimes also fall sick.
“She has to go back now, she has got other procedures,” Jagjit said of Rosmah being required to return to hospital.
When asked what kind of medical treatment Rosmah was undergoing, Jagjit replied: “That I can’t disclose because it’s very personal.”
When asked if Rosmah would be fit to attend court for the bribery trial tomorrow, Akberdin said: “We are guided by the doctors.”
Rosmah was absent in court on Monday morning (February 3) which was when the trial was scheduled to start, with her lawyers producing a February 2 medical report on her visit to a doctor for neck pain and with the judge then setting the trial to start today.
Akberdin was reported yesterday as confirming that Rosmah was hospitalised on Monday night (February 3). – MALAY MAIL
Rosmah’s doc quizzed by MACC over medical report, defence team claims criminal intimidation
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has questioned the doctor who signed the medical report for Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Defence counsel Datuk Jagjit Singh told the High Court on Wednesday (Feb 5) that the doctor was investigated by MACC following the issuance of the medical report on Monday (Feb 3).
“This is criminal intimidation. This should have been prohibited by law,” he said.
Jagjit also called for the court to ensure that this would not happen again.
Rosmah’s lawyers had submitted a medical report dated Feb 2 from a hospital in Ampang that stated cervical spondylosis, osteoarthritis on both knees and chronic adrenal insufficiency as her diagnosis.
Lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, however, said that MACC was just investigating whether Rosmah was fit to attend the trial.
“If the doctor faced criminal intimidation, he can lodge a police report,” he said.
High Court Judge Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said the matter was beyond the purview of the court, adding that the doctor could lodge a police report if he had faced criminal intimidation.
Earlier Wednesday, Rosmah arrived at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex to face graft charges.
The former prime minister’s wife did not turn up at the High Court on Monday (Feb 3) on what was supposed to be the first day of her graft trial.
Rosmah is facing three charges of graft and soliciting of bribery amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit involving a solar hybrid project in Sarawak. – ANN
MALAY MAIL / ANN
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