High Court to hear Rosmah’s Sarawak solar project case

PUTRAJAYA: The corruption trial of Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, over the Sarawak solar project case will be heard in the High Court.

This followed Rosmah’s withdrawal of her appeal in the Court of Appeal yesterday against the High Court’s March 15 decision to allow the prosecution to transfer her case from the Sessions Court.

Rosmah’s counsel Datuk Jagjit Singh told a three-member bench, led by judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli, that the defence withdrew the appeal in the light of a May 30 High Court decision.

High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan had allowed a prosecution application to jointly try Rosmah and Rizal Mansor, a former special officer to Najib, at the High Court for the case and set 32 days for the trial beginning Feb 3.

Zaini had also ordered for Rosmah’s money-laundering charges to be heard separately and fixed May 11 for the trial.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Farizul Hassan Bakri did not object to the withdrawal.

Rahman, who sat with Datuk Kamardin Hashim and Datuk Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal, then struck off the appeal. Rosmah, 67, was not present. She pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court last year to two counts of soliciting RM187.5 million and receiving RM1.5 million for projects to provide solar energy to 369 Sarawak schools.

Rizal, 46, claimed trial on the same day to four counts of soliciting and accepting bribes for himself and Rosmah, amounting to RM5.5 million, for the project.

On Oct 4, Rosmah pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of money laundering amounting to RM7,097,750 and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board.