‘ROSMAH TAMPERED WITH WITNESS’

She allegedly asked witness to make statement in her favour, says lead prosecutor

THE lead prosecutor in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s money-laundering case alleged that the wife of the former prime minister tampered with a witness.

Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram said Rosmah had approached the witness, requesting him to make a statement in her favour.

He said this while submitting the prosecution’s proposal to impose RM10 million bail on Rosmah for the 17 charges against her at the Sessions Court.

Gopal cited a police report by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in proposing a high bail.

“The accused had approached a witness, requesting the witness to make a statement in her favour, and there is a real danger of witnesses being tampered with.

“We are asking for conditions to be imposed (on her), which is for the accused not to contact any witnesses from now, until the trial.”

Gopal said interfering in investigations was a serious offence and should be brought to the attention of the court in granting bail.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib submitted in court that the report was lodged by MACC after the witness told the commission that he was approached by Rosmah during the course of investigations into a wedding in 2006.

“The reason this report is shown is because the accused has the tendency to disturb witnesses,” he said.

However, Rosmah’s counsel, Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, said the report referred to the wedding of Rosmah’s eldest daughter, Datin Azrene Soraya Abdul Aziz, in 2006.

“Looking at it, it does not have to do with the investigation process,” he said.

Earlier, Rosmah claimed trial at the Sessions Court to 17 counts of money-laundering.

She was granted RM2 million bail in two sureties and was ordered not to contact the witnesses and for her passports to be surrendered to the court.

Her counsel had asked for her to be allowed to stagger the payments, with RM500,000 to be paid yesterday and the remaining to be paid within a week.

The court allowed the request, as long as the bail payments were settled by Oct 11.

The case will be up for mention on Nov 8.