Rosmah goes to apex court to challenge solar graft case

Rosmah Mansor is seeking Federal Court’s leave to proceed with an appeal to challenge a corruption case against her linked to the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid energy project.

Her counsel from the law firm Akberdin & Co filed the application at the apex court yesterday.

According to a copy of the cause papers, the wife of incarcerated former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak put forward six questions of law for the court to consider.

Among them are whether Attorney-General Idrus Harun is empowered by law to issue a letter of appointment - dated May 21, 2021 – for the former federal court judge, the late Gopal Sri Ram, to be senior deputy prosecutor for her graft case, which was to take effect Nov 15, 2018.

Rosmah’s legal team contended that this is an issue as Idrus was only appointed as AG in 2021.

On June 22, the Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal for leave to commence judicial review to nullify the graft case against her.

The basis for her judicial review is that the graft case against her is a nullity from the onset due to the alleged invalid appointment of the solar case’s lead prosecutor, Sri Ram.

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 30 last year denied Rosmah’s judicial review leave application.

Her judicial review is a civil action which is distinct from the criminal graft case that saw her conviction and sentencing.

On Sept 1 last year, the High Court (criminal jurisdiction) in Kuala Lumpur convicted her in the graft case and sentenced her to 10 years of imprisonment and an RM970 million fine.

However, she obtained a stay of execution against the sentencing, and her separate criminal appeal against this guilty verdict is set for hearing before the Court of Appeal on July 11.

Incidentally, the Court of Appeal has set Friday this week to hear Rosmah’s application to postpone the hearing of her main solar graft appeal next week.

She seeks the postponement pending disposal of her judicial review appeal bid before the apex court. - Mkini