KUALA LUMPUR – Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor told the high court here today that the content of an audio recording, allegedly of her saying “Can I advise you something?”, was not true and that there was no scientific investigation to prove it was her voice.
Rosmah, 70, said this when asked if the audio content was true during cross-examination by senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram on her defence trial on three charges relating to a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Sri Ram said: “I put it to you that the content of the tape is true. Do you agree?”
Rosmah replied: “No, utter rubbish.”
She also disagreed with Sri Ram’s suggestion that the voice in the tape belongs to her.
Sri Ram: “Do you confirm that the voices in that tape are of you and your husband (Datuk Seri Najib Razak?”
Rosmah: “No, I cannot confirm that, because there was no scientific investigation done on that.”
Sri Ram: “I also put it to you that during that conversation, you made references to the appointment of persons in public office.”
Rosmah: “I don’t agree.”
Rosmah also disagreed with Sri Ram that she had distanced herself from the content of the tape because the tape confirmed she was advising her husband on public appointments.
Sri Ram said several witnesses in the trial, including former education minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and Rosmah’s former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor, have testified in court that those were the voices of Rosmah and Najib.
However, Rosmah countered: “And you’re supposed to believe them?”
At this point, Sri Ram raised his voice and said Rosmah should not be questioning him instead.
Sri Ram: “You can’t ask me a question. Do you want to quarrel with me?”
Rosmah replied: “I’m not quarrelling with you. I want to answer.”
At this juncture, judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan suggested that Rosmah listen to the prosecution’s question and keep her answer short as her counsel will re-examine her later.
Right after the judge gave his direction, Rosmah answered, “Datuk Seri (Sri Ram), don’t shout near me. I’m not used to people shouting near me,” she said.
Earlier, Zaini dismissed the prosecution’s application to impeach Rosmah over her alleged contradictory testimony in her trial after ruling that impeachment was not necessary as Rosmah has offered an explanation for the alleged contradiction.
The prosecution’s attempt to impeach Rosmah’s credibility was over alleged contradictions between her testimony in the solar project trial and the statement she gave to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in her money-laundering case.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib said that when Rosmah gave her statement to MACC on October 3, 2018 relating to her money-laundering case, she had said she did not know and had never met Saidi Abang Samsudin, the former managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, and Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah, Saidi’s former business partner).
Akram contended that during the previous proceedings in the solar trial, Rosmah testified that she did not know Saidi and Rayyan, who are key prosecution witnesses, prior to her first meeting with them in 2016.
On February 18, the high court ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on the three charges after finding the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.
Rosmah is facing a charge of soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes and two charges of receiving RM6.5 million from Saidi through Rizal as a gratification to assist Jepak Holdings in securing the integrated hybrid solar photovoltaic system project as well as genset/diesel maintenance and operations for 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion, through direct negotiations from the Education Ministry.
The trial continues tomorrow. – Bernama, December 23, 2021
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