KUALA LUMPUR – It was an emotional day for Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as she started crying while reading her 118-page witness statement during her graft trial at the high court here today.
Towards the end of her statement, she broke into tears and questioned the lack of action by the prosecution involving five witnesses in her trial, reported The Star.
She said that the witnesses pushed all the blame on her in an effort to hide their shame and now they are going scot-free.
“This is an evil and cruel deed. It is malicious and selective prosecution against me and my family,” she was quoted as saying.
Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan later asked if she was okay.
“I’m sorry, Your Honour, I’ve gone through a lot,” she said.
Today is the second day of her defence in the trial involving a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project in Sarawak.
The hearing continues tomorrow.
Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was ordered by the high court on February 18 this year to enter her defence on three corruption charges.
Rosmah is charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes of RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd’s former managing director, Saidi Abang Samsuddin, through her former special officer, Datuk Rizal Mansor, as an inducement to help Jepak Holdings secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project and maintenance and operation of genset/diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiation from the Education Ministry.
For the second charge, Rosmah was alleged to have dishonestly received for herself RM1.5 million from Saidi for the same purpose at her residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta, on September 7, 2017.
Rosmah also faces a third charge of accepting gratification of RM5 million from Saidi through Rizal for helping Jepak Holdings secure the same project on December 20, 2016, at her Seri Perdana residence in Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 2017. – The Vibes, October 6, 2021