Rosmah files 11th hour application to disqualify judge

(FMT) – Rosmah Mansor has filed a last-minute application to disqualify High Court judge Zaini Mazlan from presiding over her corruption trial linked to the RM1.25 billion Sarawak rural schools’ solar hybrid energy project.

The judge is scheduled to deliver his decision tomorrow.

The application was filed by legal firm Messrs Akberdin & Co yesterday afternoon and the cause papers were served on the prosecution at the same time.

Lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader, a counsel in Rosmah’s legal team, confirmed the matter.

FMT understands the application was made following the publication of a leaked “draft judgment” by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin last week.

The application said Zaini could be influenced as the purported judgment was written by a third party.

On Saturday, Sentul district police chief Beh Eng Lai said the alleged leak was being investigated under Section 8 of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972 and Section 203A of the Penal Code. Both laws are related to the illegal disclosure of confidential information.

The case is also being probed under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 for improper use of network facilities.

The chief registrar’s office of the Federal Court earlier lodged a police report over the alleged leak, saying it was a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the court’s operation and administration of justice.

The purported leak came less than a week after another leak of the “draft judgment” of Najib Razak’s SRC International appeal in the Federal Court.

Rosmah, 70, is charged with soliciting RM187.5 million from former Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, through her then aide Rizal Mansor, as an inducement to help the company secure the project through direct negotiation with the education ministry.

She is also accused of two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM6.5 million from Saidi between 2016 and 2017.