KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has fixed Aug 30 to decide on Rosmah Mansor’s fresh bid to disqualify Gopal Sri Ram from leading the prosecution in her ongoing corruption trial linked to the RM1.25 billion solar project in Sarawak.
Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid said he would notify parties of the court’s decision through email.
On June 24, Rosmah filed a fresh bid to initiate a judicial review to question Sri Ram’s appointment.
She claimed that his appointment as an ad hoc prosecutor, made under Section 376(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, was defective.
She alleged that the former Federal Court judge was only appointed by then attorney-general Tommy Thomas to handle the prosecution in 1MDB-related cases and not her corruption case.
Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, sought the court order to set aside Sri Ram’s appointment as well as to suspend the proceedings in her corruption case.
Earlier today, the court heard submissions from Rosmah’s lawyers, Akberdin Abdul Kader and Jagjit Singh, as well as senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan and Sri Ram, who is representing himself.
Shamsul told the court that Rosmah’s bid to commence the legal challenge was an abuse of the court process.
“This application, in essence, is seeking to review the decision of another High Court,” he said, referring to Rosmah’s similar application last year to remove Sri Ram.
However, her previous attempts to remove Sri Ram had been rejected by the court.
Sri Ram also said that Rosmah’s fresh bid today was “asking the court to review another court’s decision” over his appointment.
Akberdin contended that Rosmah should be allowed to commence the legal challenge, claiming that they had an arguable case.
He said Rosmah was “adversely affected” by Sri Ram’s appointment as an ad hoc prosecutor in her corruption case, maintaining that his appointment was not proper.
Rosmah is facing three counts of corruption for allegedly soliciting RM187.5 million from former Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, through former aide Rizal Mansor, as an inducement to help the company secure the solar project for rural schools in Sarawak. - FMT
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