High Court sets December 13 for hearing of Rosmah’s bid to have AMLA, tax evasion charges struck out

Lawyer Mohamed Reza Rahim is seen at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex September 7, 2023. — Picture by Hari Anggara

By Kenneth Tee

Thursday, 07 Sep 2023 10:35 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — The High Court has today fixed December 13 to hear Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s application to strike out all of the charges on which she is currently on trial.

High Court judge K. Muniandy set the date after Rosmah’s counsel confirmed the application was filed yesterday.

Rosmah, who was absent, was represented by lawyers Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin and Mohamed Reza Rahim.

Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yii Tin appeared for the prosecution.

Rosmah’s bid to strike out her charges follows a pending decision over two representations she submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers in May and last month.

This is Rosmah’s second corruption trial.

On September 1 last year, Court of Appeal judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan ― then a High Court judge ― found Rosmah guilty of three corruption charges involving RM1.25 billion in connection with a hybrid solar project to provide electricity for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.

Rosmah, who is the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for each charge to be served concurrently which means she will only serve 10 years in jail.

She was also fined RM970 million, in default 30 years in jail but her sentence is on hold pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal.

In this trial, Rosmah is facing 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750, and five counts of failure to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board between December 4, 2013 to June 8, 2017.

Initially charged on October 4, 2018, at the Sessions Court, she has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.