KUALA LUMPUR – Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor insists that the prosecution in her solar project trial conspired with her former aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor, to falsely implicate her, despite admitting that she has no issues with any officers from the Attorney-General Chambers (AGC), the high court heard today.
To confirm the matter, senior deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram then introduced Rosmah, 69, to seven deputy public prosecutors (DPPs) working on her case prior to the court proceedings today, to which Rosmah said “I only know most of them from court”.
Among the DPPs introduced were Ahmad Akram Gharib, Mohamad Mustafa P. Kunyalam, Poh Yih Tinn and Nadia Mohd Izhar.
Rosmah then asked Sri Ram why he was not introducing himself, to which he replied “because I am not from the AGC”.
In response, Rosmah said “but you were appointed (by the AGC). You have the fiat (letter of authorisation)”, but Sri Ram dismissed Rosmah’s remarks and requested to “get on with the case”.
Sri Ram: Your defence comprises the following (Rizal and AGC officers) to hoist a false case on you.
Rosmah: Correct.
Rosmah also disagreed that there was no basis to presume Rizal entered into a conspiracy with AGC officers to give false evidence against her.
Rosmah, clad in yellow baju kurung and matching scarf, was being cross-examined by Sri Ram on the third day of her defence trial concerning three corruption charges involving a solar hybrid project worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Earlier, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak maintained that Rizal was incompetent when he was working with her but she did not raise it to Rizal directly, but instead to Najib’s special officer, Datuk Seri Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod.
“When he first started working with me, he was tasked to write a speech for me. The language and the content were very ‘empty’; it wasn’t the sort of speech that should be delivered by the wife of the prime minister.”
Rosmah also said she was not the one who awarded Rizal the datukship, but helped in recommending him to the Pahang Secretariat because she pitied him.
Sri Ram: But your recommendation was accepted.
Rosmah: I suppose, I was the wife of the PM.
Further questioned by Sri Ram, Rosmah also denied that she has a habit of asking other people to “get things done” for her when she wanted something.
Sri Ram cited an occasion when Rosmah had asked her acquaintance, Aizulhaimi Mohd Termizi, to lodge a police report on her behalf, which Rosmah denied, saying “I did not ask but he made the proposal (to lodge the police report) for me”.
Sri Ram: That is the point I’m making. It is the same when you want monies from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin; you do it through Rizal.
Rosmah: I disagree.
On February 18, the high court had 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 one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes and two charges of receiving RM6.5 million grafts from Saidi through Rizal as a gratification to assist Jepak Holdings in securing the solar hybrid project worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiations with the Education Ministry.
The trial before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues on October 21. – Bernama, October 7, 2021
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