KUALA LUMPUR: Rosmah Mansor, wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, faces trial on Monday on corruption charges relating to a solar energy project for 369 rural Sarawak schools.
Her case will begin at 2pm, while Najib will continue making his defence in a separate court on charges relating to funds of SRC International Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary then of 1MDB.
Rosmah, 69, is accused of having solicited RM187.5 million, and receiving RM1.5 million, to secure approval of the solar energy projects.
The case will be heard by Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.
Najib, 67, is scheduled to continue his defence before Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali on charges of misappropriating RM42 million in funds belonging to SRC International.
Rosmah was initially supposed to be tried with her former special officer, Rizal Mansor, who had been charged with four counts of soliciting and receiving bribes on behalf of Rosmah over the project.
However, Rizal was acquitted of the charges on Jan 8 after the prosecution withdrew all four charges against him.
Rosmah had pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court in November 2018 to two counts of soliciting RM187.5 million and receiving RM1.5 million for the solar energy projects.
On the first count, she was charged with dishonestly soliciting for herself, through Rizal, a gratification of RM187,500,000 amounting to 15% of the value of the contract for the project.
She was alleged to have solicited the money from Saidi Abang Samsudin, managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, as an inducement to help the company secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project and Maintenance and Operation of Genset/Diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth a total of RM1.25 billion through direct negotiation from the Education Ministry.
She was accused of having committed the offence at Lygon Cafe’, G-24, Ground Floor, Sunway Putra Mall, 100, Jalan Putra, Chow Kit, here between March and April 2016.
On the second count, Rosmah was charged with dishonestly receiving for herself RM1,500,000 from Saidi for the same purpose at No. 11, Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta, here on Sept 7, 2017.
She was charged under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act. The penalty is imprisonment for up to 20 years, fine of not less than five times the amount of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
On April 10, 2019, Rosmah was charged again in the Sessions Court here with accepting gratification of RM5 million from Saidi through Rizal for helping Jepak Holdings to secure the same project.
All the cases had been transferred from the Sessions Court to the High Court for trial.
Rosmah also facing 12 separate charges for money laundering involving RM7,097,750 and five counts of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board. This brings the total number of charges against her to 20.
The trial on these charges will be held in May. - FMT
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