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KUALA LUMPUR: The prosecution in the Rosmah Mansor corruption trial today concluded its case against the wife of the former prime minister.
Ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan that the prosecution had called his witnesses to testify. Twenty-three witnesses had given their testimony since the Rosmah trial began on February 5.
“We are offering 10 witnesses to the defense. And we are also ready to present our presentations for the end of the prosecution case in five days, ”he said.
Among the witnesses offered to the defense is Najib Razak.
Rosmah was slapped with three counts of corruption for allegedly requesting RM187.5 million from Saidi Abang Samsudin, managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, as an incentive to help the company secure a solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, with a cost of RM1.25 billion, through direct negotiation with the Ministry of Education.
She is also accused of receiving bribes worth RM6.5 million from Saidi between 2016 and 2017.
Rosmah’s lawyer, Akberdin Abdul Kader, said the defense needed about a month to prepare their submissions.
But Zaini said he gave the defense until December 28 to present submissions and that the prosecution had to respond by January 4.
“And the parties have to appear before me on February 10, 2021 for further clarification,” he said.
Previously, the judge rejected the prosecution’s request to present an audio recording between Rosmah and Najib. Several witnesses had identified the voices of the couple from the recording.
“Having heard the arguments of the scholarly lawyer, I am not inclined to have the recording and the transcript admitted as evidence,” he said.
Former Minister Mahdzir Khalid Denies Corruption Accusations
The court also heard testimony from former education minister Mahdzir Khalid, who was called to the witness stand today.
Lawyer Jagjit Singh, when questioning Mahdzir, questioned him again about news reports that said he would be charged with corruption for allegedly requesting and receiving money from Saidi.
“That is why his lawyer had agreed with the prosecution to testify against my client,” Jagjit said.
Mahdzir said that he did not agree with Jagjit’s suggestion.
The lawyer then pressured Mahdzir in his press release in May in which he threatened to sue those who tried to link him to allegations of corruption.
Mahdzir said he could not remember the media statement, to which Jagjit said “you really can’t remember anything at all.”
“Yes, for Covid,” he jokingly replied.
When Jagjit raised his voice and accused Mahdzir of “exercising selective memory” in the face of questions, the former minister said: “I am not lying to the court. And this is not Parliament. “
