[UPDATED] Rosmah arrives at KL High Court for money laundering, tax evasion trial  

KUALA LUMPUR – Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has arrived at the court complex here to face her second criminal trial over money laundering and tax evasion charges involving RM1.7 million.

Arriving just before 9am, Rosmah was dressed in a pink and white floral motif baju kurung paired with a bright red-orange shawl.  

The wife of imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was also accompanied by several aides.

The trial, which will be heard before judge Muniandy Kannyappan, relates to 12 charges of money laundering amounting to approximately RM7 million and five counts of failure to declare income to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB). 

The money laundering charges are framed under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA) while the crimes relating to the IRB are said to have violated the Income Tax Act 1967. 

Rosmah is accused of committing the offences between December 4, 2013, and June 8, 2017.

The prosecution is reportedly set to call 13 or 14 witnesses to make its case. 

On Monday, Rosmah had filed an eleventh-hour letter of representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC). However, her lead counsel Datuk Geetham Ram Vincent had said the defence team had yet to receive a response. 

The legal letter is usually sent by lawyers seeking the prosecutor to withdraw or reduce charges against the accused. 

In September last year, Rosmah was convicted in her first criminal trial involving three graft charges in relation to the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project in Sarawak.

High court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan sentenced Rosmah to a 10-year jail term for each charge, to be run concurrently, and a fine of RM970 million – the highest of its kind.

The case is now awaiting appeal at the appellate court, which will be heard from July 11 to 14. – The Vibes, May 12, 2023