Rosmah to know fate in corruption trial on July 7

(FMT) – The High Court will deliver its ruling on July 7 on whether to acquit or convict Rosmah Mansor, who is charged with three counts of corruption linked to the RM1.25 billion Sarawak rural schools’ solar energy project.

Judge Zaini Mazlan said he proposed to deliver his full judgment after having called the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak to enter her defence.

“We have reached the end of the road and it is time for me to complete the journey,” he said when ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram asked the judge to fix a date to deliver judgment

Zaini said the proceeding will begin at 9am.

Rosmah, 70, is accused of soliciting RM187.5 million from former Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, through her former aide Rizal Mansor, as an inducement to help the company secure the solar project.

She is also accused of receiving bribes amounting to RM5 million from Saidi, through Rizal, at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya on Dec 20, 2016.

She is said to have received another RM1.5 million from Saidi at Jalan Langgak Duta here on Sept 7, 2017.

Her case started on Feb 5, 2020, and Zaini asked her to enter her defence on Feb 18 last year. The defence closed its case on Feb 23.

The hearing took 42 days.

The prosecution called 23 witnesses, and the defence two, including Rosmah, who gave evidence from the witness box.

The prosecution said Rosmah had failed to rebut the presumption under the MACC Act that she had solicited and accepted bribes and her evidence remained a mere denial.

However, the defence submitted that it was Rizal who used Rosmah’s name to solicit and collect the bribes.