THE Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed the prosecution to withdraw its application to transfer the case of Rizal Mansor, who is facing four corruption charges related to a solar energy project in Sarawak, to be tried jointly with Rosmah Mansor’s case, involving the same project.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah made the ruling after deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib told the court that there was a technical error in the application.

Akram said the prosecution is of the view that the application to transfer the case to be heard before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan should be withdrawn with liberty to file afresh.

As such, the case will be heard before Collin.

In his submission, Akram said under Section 25(2) of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964, the judge also has discretion to transfer the case directly to any court.

Lawyer Ridha Abdah Subri, representing Rizal, the former special officer to ex-prime minister Najib Razak, did not object to the withdrawal.

The charges against Rizal are under Section 16(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

The offences are punishable under Section 24 of the same act, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher. – Bernama, February 8, 2019.