PUTRAJAYA – Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s application to stay her ongoing corruption trial pending disposal of her appeal against the high court’s dismissal of her bid to nullify trial proceedings will be heard next Monday.
Lawyer Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, representing Rosmah, and deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib confirmed that the stay application will be heard in the Court of Appeal on October 4.
Akberdin, meanwhile, said the court has fixed October 13 for another case management on Rosmah’s appeals against the high court’s decision in dismissing her application to nullify her corruption trial concerning a solar hybrid project for Sarawak schools and to disqualify Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram as senior deputy public prosecutor.
Case management for the stay and appeals came up before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron today.
Last Friday, Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, lost her bid in the high court to declare her corruption trial null as well as to remove Sri Ram as lead prosecutor.
In dismissing both of Rosmah’s applications, high court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said the authorisation given by the then attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas to Sri Ram to conduct the criminal prosecution in Rosmah’s case was without doubt validly done under Section 376(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code in his capacity as public prosecutor.
He said Thomas had clearly stated that he had, after appointing Sri Ram to lead the prosecution in 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) cases, subsequently authorised Sri Ram to conduct the prosecution for the criminal cases against the applicant (Rosmah).
Rosmah filed the two applications at the high court on May 6 this year, seeking to nullify her entire trial and be acquitted of all three charges, as well as remove Sri Ram as lead prosecutor.
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 the company (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 to secure the same project on December 20, 2016, at her Seri Perdana residence in Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 2017.
On February 18 this year, the high court ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on all three corruption charges and she is scheduled to take the stand when the defence begins its case on October 5. – Bernama, September 28, 2021
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