Rosmah’s money laundering case transferred to High Court

KUALA LUMPUR: The case of wife of former prime minister, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who has been charged with 17 counts of money laundering and tax evasion will be heard at the High Court.

This followed a decision by High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali in allowing Rosmah’s application to transfer the case from the Sessions Court to the High Court.

“A transfer would expedite the cause of justice. So, I’m allowing the application under Section 417 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” the judge said.

Earlier, lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, representing Rosmah, told the media that yesterday had been set for case management to hear the application by his client to transfer the case to the High Court.

“The prosecution has also not objected to the application,” he said.

According to Geethan the defence filed the application as the case involved points of law, and justice would be served if the case is heard at the High Court.

Retired Federal Court Judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, who was appointed senior deputy public prosecutor, told the court that the prosecution had no objection to the application.

On Oct 4, Rosmah, 67, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to 12 counts of money laundering involving RM7,097,750 and five counts of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board.

On the first to the eighth count, Rosmah was alleged to have been involved in money laundering by directly engaging in the transaction that involved proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to RM1.1 million which was deposited into her Affin Bank Berhad account.

She was alleged to have committed the offence at Affin Bank Berhad, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, ground floor, 148 Jalan Ampang here between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017.

The charges were framed under Section 4(1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides a maximum fine of RM5 million or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, if found guilty.

For the ninth to the 12th charge, Rosmah was alleged to have directly engaged in 227 transactions involving proceeds of unlawful activities totalling RM5,997,750.00 which were deposited into the same account at Affin Bank Berhad which belonged to her.

The charges were made under Section 4(1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides an imprisonment for up to 15 years and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of unlawful activity or RM5 million, whichever is higher, if found guilty.

As for the 13th to the 17th count she was alleged to have directly engaged in transactions involving proceeds from unlawful activities and failing to furnish returns on her income amounting to RM7,097,750.00 that was deposited into her Affin Bank Berhad account between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017.

As required under Section 77(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967 she should furnish returns of her income for the assessment year 2013 to 2017 to the IRB Director-General on or before April 30, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 without reasonable excuse contrary to Section 112 of the law.

She was charged with committing all the offences at the Inland Revenue Board, Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim here between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.

For the 13th charge, Rosmah was charged under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same law, which provides a maximum fine of RM5 million or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, if found guilty.