Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak is expected to testify in his wife Rosmah Mansor's corruption case today involving government contracts to supply solar-diesel hybrid energy to rural schools.
Najib is being called as a defence witness for Rosmah's trial. The hearing is expected to start at 9am, barring any postponement.
Rosmah was ordered to enter her defence after the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled on Feb 18 last year that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against Rosmah.
Rosmah, 70, is facing three charges under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.
On the first charge, she is accused of soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd to help secure an Education Ministry project.
The RM1.25 billion project was intended to supply power to 369 rural schools in Sarawak using a combination of solar and diesel energy.
On the second and third charges, she is accused of receiving RM1.5 million and RM5 million in bribes respectively as a reward for securing the project.
If found guilty, Rosmah faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of five times the value of the gratification received.
Najib, who served as the prime minister from 2009 to 2018, is also facing a slew of corruption charges.
He has been convicted of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power over the misappropriation of funds belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.
Najib was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and an RM210 million fine but is presently free pending a final appeal to the Federal Court.
This morning during open-court proceedings before trial judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, however, Rosmah’s lawyers informed that they had decided last night not to call her husband to testify in her defence.
Defence counsel Jagjit Singh explained that it was because Najib’s testimony was merely “corroborative” in nature and that the corroboration has already been done by previous defence witnesses. - Mkini
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